Roma's Cengiz Under, left, celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's first goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Udinese and Roma at the Friuli stadium in Udine, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018. (Stefano Lancia/ANSA via AP)

Chelsea 4 Hull City 0: Olivier Giroud off the mark for Blues as striker bags his first goal in FA Cup stroll

It will be Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and others at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday but for the warm-up act it was a struggling Hull City from the Championship fielding a makeshift team in an FA Cup fifth-round tie that was over within half an hour for Antonio Conte’s team. This was not a great night for the Cup, especially when Nigel Adkins made seven changes from his previous Championship team and a side already suffering around 12 injuries and ineligible players were taken apart with four Chelsea goals in the first half. You only need to know that two of Adkins’ regular back four are Chelsea loanees Michael Hector and Ola Aina, both unable to play in this tie, and a third Chelsea man Fiyako Tomori was also absent for the same reason. There was a first Chelsea goal for Olivier Giroud since his arrival from Arsenal last month, and there were moments when the Brazilian Willian gave Hull a reminder of what the quality was like in the Premier League – including a goal within 106 seconds of the kick-off. Willian scored twice before half-time and there was another from Pedro, with Hull looking every inch a team who were trying to get in and out of west London with the minimum of embarrassment. Conte gave a debut to his other January signing, the left-back Emerson Palmieri from Roma, and later he brought on another debutant, Kyle Scott, a 20 year-old from the academy who has largely been making up the numbers in the first-team training sessions. There were two 17 year-olds on the pitch for Chelsea in the second half, with Ethan Ampadu starting the game at the centre of a three-man defence and Callum Hudson-Odoi, the academy’s latest hot prospect, a replacement for Pedro. Nathan Ampadu gives a confident performance in defence Credit: Getty Images Willian’s performance has given Conte reason to consider his line-up for Tuesday’s Champions League round of 16 first leg, with the Chelsea manager admitting. “I'm very happy. Before an important game, against Barcelona, tonight I go to my house with many doubts in my mind, which is the best starting XI to start the game against Barcelona. But it's right to be so. We must take the right time to make the best decision to pick the best XI to start that game.” A very different Hull team had unexpectedly beaten Nottingham Forest at the City Ground the previous Saturday but with a Championship game against Middlesbrough awaiting on Tuesday, Adkins was a manager with a lot of injuries to deal with and priorities elsewhere. He was without his top goalscorer Jarrod Bowen who, Adkins said later, might miss Tuesday’s game with a damaged hamstring. “We came with a game-plan,” Adkins said, and admitted that the plan did not make it to the end of the second minute, although his team managed to get through the second half without conceding. “Everyone knew our situation – and within a couple of minutes it goes out of the window. We gifted them the opportunities to score some goals in the first half. “But, wow, Chelsea have got some good players and counter-attack so quickly. In the second half, fair credit to them [Hull], they gave it a go and we did what we had hoped to do initially.” Willian celebrates his first goal Credit: AFP The 2014 FA Cup finalists are toppling badly, a point outside the Championship relegation zone and suffering all the familiar symptoms of a club in crisis: an owner desperate to sell, a fanbase in rebellion and a squad patched together. They missed a second-half penalty taken by David Meyler who had been one of those Hull players suffering in their attempts to put a challenge in on Willian in the first half. It was a brutal first half for Kevin Stewart, previously of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, who was guilty of losing possession to Giroud twice for the first and third goals, both scored by Willian. The Brazilian is clearly a cut above anyone on the Hull team and he punctuated the first half with a few moments of great quality, a flick with the instep, and two goals dispatched – one with his left foot and one with his right. For his first, Willian hit a brilliant shot past David Marshall after Stewart had turned into trouble in midfield. His second goal, and Chelsea’s third, was hit with his right, shaped inside the post after Stewart had again been dispossessed by Giroud. Willy Caballero saves David Meyler's penalty Credit: Getty Images Between times there was a ball flighted over the top of Hull’s defence by Cesc Fabregas which Pedro took with an immaculate first touch with his right and beat Marshall with his left. The fourth came just before half-time when Meyler had the ball put through his legs by Emerson on the left and Giroud clipped a near-post shot in from the cross for his first Chelsea goal. There was a penalty for Hull in the second half, conceded without complaint by Fabregas who was far too slow getting across to challenge Harry Wilson, on loan at Hull from Liverpool. The 20 year-old landed awkwardly on his shoulder, and eventually had to go off as a consequence, although not before he had seen Meyler’s penalty saved by Willy Caballero, who got the rebound too. Alvaro Morata came off the bench to replace Giroud and it will be interesting to see who Conte starts from the pair in the Champions League tie on Tuesday. The Chelsea manager confirmed that Marcos Alonso will be back for that tie. “I consider Barcelona one of the best teams in the world,” Conte said later. “On one side, you must be a bit sad to play against them. But, on the other hand, you must be excited. You have to try and compete with them at this level. It won't be easy, for sure, but we must have the right confidence and then we'll see what happens.” 9:56PM FULL-TIME! 4-0 And it's all over at Stamford Bridge officially, although it felt over at half-time with the Blues four goals ahead. Chelsea may have been the heavy favourites but they didn't take that for granted and clearly took their opponents as serious as any other. Fabregas was very good, pinging perfect crosses all over the pitch and Willian took his opportunity with Barcelona just a few days away. Nigel Adkins can be impressed with his teams second half performance, and he may leave London with a bit more confidence for the relegation battle they are facing. 9:51PM 90 + 2 mins It's straight up the other end and it's Fraizer Campbell but Caballero makes another easy save. And we're back again but Zappacosta's cross is too close to Marshall. 9:49PM 89 mins (4-0) Everyone thinks the game is pretty much over but not Willian who picks up the ball about 25 yard out and with those tricky feet he sends another curling shot towards goal. But it's off the post. What a shame! The Brazilian would've deserved his hat-trick. 9:47PM Last Hull change Jackson Irvine is replaced by Dan Batty 9:43PM 84 mins (4-0) Another Hull chance. Dawson plays in Toral on the right wing and he weaves his way to the edge of the box before passing to Diomande, but the forward can't get a head to it. Chelsea are pretty much chilling right now. Like a student in the last ten minutes of an exam that they know they've aced. 9:39PM 80 mins (4-0) Meyler is the next Hull player to try his luck but Cabellero is equal to it. You get the sense that Chelsea have no intention of doing anything silly but they also don't want to exert too much energy with Barcelona on the horizon. A lot of short and/or sideways passes, except for Willian who heads for goal every time the ball is at his feet. 9:37PM 77 mins Really good save from Marshall to save from Drinkwater after it's deflected off one of his defenders. Prior to this the Tigers had kept four clean sheets in their last seven games although McGregor got three of those. 9:32PM 73 mins (4-0) Just under 20 minutes left at Stamford Bridge and Conte won't want his team relaxing now. Morata's first real involvement is to win a corner for his team, it's out and the Blues have another. It falls to Cahill and you would expect him to score but he can't sort his feet out in time. 9:32PM Hull change Nouha Dicko is replaced by Frazier Campbell. Yes, THAT Fraizer Campbell. 9:31PM Final Chelsea change Olivier Giroud departs for Alvaro Morata 9:27PM 68 mins Cabellero is screaming at his defenders after he saves from Dicko at his near post, with the shot coming off his knee. Conte won't be happy with the chances that Hull are creating but Ampadu, in particular, is getting the chance to show his ability. Hull waste another moment of possession as Chelsea get the ball from their corner. Willian is on the edge of the box again and he shoots for his hat-trick but it's blocked. And Zappacosta can't take advantage of the rebound. 9:24PM 64 mins (4-0) Neither team has control at the moment, but Hull will be buzzing with their improvement from the opening half. In regards to possession and number of passes, it's very easily balanced. I guess the challenge for the visitors is to at least draw the second-half, preferably with a clean sheet. 9:22PM Chelsea change Cesc Fabregas is replaced by another debutant, Kyle Scott. 9:21PM Some info on Hudson-Odoi If you aren't familiar with his name, you need to pay more attention to non first-team players. Blues fans have been raving about the 17-year-old for a while and calling for him to get some proper league action. He's been at the club since he was eight, he won the January PL2 Player of the Month award, he's a forward and stands at 6ft. 9:19PM A rare sight Is any other club account so factual and blunt? 56 | Irvine collects the ball on the edge of the area and has a go but his shot is too weak and easy for the Chelsea goalkeeper #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 9:15PM 56 mins (4-0) The home side appear to be a bit unnerved by their visitors in this half. Irvine - who has been Hull's best player - is the latest to have a snapshot but it doesn't have enough power and it doesn't have the height to trouble the Blues keeper. 9:15PM Hull change Harry Wilson makes way for Jon Toral 9:14PM Penalty peeve Just to clarify, Cabellero SAVED Meyler's spot-kick. Meyler did not MISS the penalty. It was on target - therefore it cannot be a miss and the keeper prevented it from crossing the line - by saving it. 9:11PM PENALTY! Meyler has to move the ball because it was evading the white penalty spot. Meyler looks confident and it's a decent strike but... SAVED! Big Willy C goes to his right and makes it look so easy. A chance wasted for the Tigers. 9:09PM 48 mins (4-0) Have Hull been replaced during half-time? Do we have a modern day example of Bodysnatchers because we're early on in this half and they look a completely different team. It's been all them and Ampadu has to send the ball into Row Z to stop a chance, and is that Fabregas trying to tackle... 9:04PM Change for Chelsea Pedro is replaced by Callum Hudson-Odoi 8:51PM HALF-TIME. (4-0) Conte might have a happier press conference today. Chelsea have been calm, patient and composed in a game they were heavy favourites to win. Hull have been disappointing because regardless of your injury woes, you have to do the simple stuff. And they don't seem able to do them well, or at all. 8:48PM 45 + 2 mins Hull have shown more attacking prowess and had more touches in the last three minutes than the previous 44. That says it all... 8:47PM 45 mins (4-0) Fabregas has been reminding everyone in Stamford Bridge of his talents tonight. His passing has been immaculate in this first half. Cabellero just touched the ball! This is not a drill. It was a weak header but at least it gave him something to do. Two minutes of added time. Basically 30 seconds for each goal. 8:44PM Goal! Girouuuuuuuddddddddddd And there it is, his first goal for his new club. The ball bounces around the box and falls to Emerson who crosses at the second attempt, with the ball falling at the feet of the Frenchman. Giroud kisses the debutants head to show his appreciation. 8:42PM 42 mins (3-0) Even when Hull do venture into Chelsea's half, you don't sense that anything will happen unless it's a Chelsea mistake. 8:39PM 38 mins (3-0) Chelsea just playing the ball around the Hull players at the moment as they surely feel confident with their three goal lead. Marshall collects a speculative effort and sends it forward and Evandro attempts something, I'm not sure what as it's nowhere near the goal or one of his teammates. He could've just tried to hold it up... 8:35PM Goal! Willian The Brazilian gets his brace and it is far too simple. Willian plays a back heel into the middle of the park, just outside the box and the visitors should clear it but Giroud is stronger than Dawson and keeps possession to play in his advancing teammate, who makes it 3-0. 8:32PM 31 mins (2-0) The visitors seriously need to get some composure if they are to keep the score at 2-0 until half-time, because at the moment Chelsea are the team that are the Tigers. And Hull are their prey... 8:29PM Goal! Pedro It was coming. Giroud plays in Fabregas and he sends one of those perfect balls up for Pedro. The Spainard brings it down and sends it past Marshall to double their lead. 8:28PM 26 mins (1-0) Emerson shows that he has the ability to start the attack as his run down the left draws a foul from Meyler. It's just outside the box on the near side but the ref blows for a foul to give Hull a goal-kick. It looks like there was dome pushing from Rudiger. A little error from the youngster Ampadu who takes a little too long in his own box but Cabellero is there to clear the danger. He then atones for his mistake by sending a long ball over the top to Willian, who sets up Pedro but Marshall is there to make the easy save. 8:24PM 22 mins (1-0) All Hull's attacks have comes through Irvine, but every time he charges through midfield and then tries to play in Dicko; a blue shirt is there. Michael Dawson - who should know better - concedes a silly free-kick to help Chelsea on their way. Willian is running riot through the Tigers defense this evening. And although Hull keep managing to clear the ball, it's only as far as another Chelsea player. 8:20PM 19 mins The Blues play is very calm at the moment. They obviously have the majority of possession but they aren't rushing their play. Another chance for Giroud as Drinkwater sends a curving ball into the box after collecting Willian's pass but the Frenchman can't get there quick enough. 8:17PM At least they're honest 13 | It should be two. Giroud finds himself free in the area after a chip from Pedro but the striker pokes the ball over Marshall's crossbar #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 8:16PM 14 mins A little better. They get a corner and send it to the edge of the box before Stewart tees it up for Irvine but he heads it over. Zappacosta passes to Pedro on the edge of the box and he chips it over the Hull defence for Giroud but the striker can't keep it down, despite it being on his left foot. Ooh! A very lucky moment for the visitors. Fabregas sends a lovely ball through several Hull players for Pedro, but Marshall manages to get something on it and it's out for a corner. 8:12PM 11 mins Another Chelsea break and this time Willian sends a ball across the box for Giroud but the Frenchman wasn't alert to the opportunity. Hull get a free kick in the middle of the park and it's too long for anyone. It's a wasteful moment from the visitors who will need to use their deadball situations better if they are to test the current Premier League champions. 8:09PM 8 mins The visitors are playing in a 5-4-1 but they're pretty much stuck in their own half. Stewart sends a long ball forward for Dicko, but again, it's no problem for the Chelsea defense. Fabregas takes a short corner and plays a 1-2 with Willian before taking the shot, but Marshall saves down low at his near post. 8:06PM 5 mins Such a silly mistake by Stewart to lose the ball where he did, he should've known the Blues players were surrounding him. But confident from Willian to swing it round Marshall. Hull have a little bit of possession but with a lone striker when it does get near the Chelsea box, it's easily cleared by Rudiger. 8:03PM Goal! Chelsea are already attacking. Hull loss possession about 30 yards out and Willian gets on the ball, twisting around the Tigers defence and curling it in at the far post. 8:02PM Kick-off! The home team get us started and Hull are set up like a team who know they will be on the back foot for most of the game. 7:59PM Tunnel time The teams are heading out onto the pitch, at a packed Stamford Bridge. Who will be one step nearer to that iconic silverware when the final whistle blows? The FA Cup Credit: Getty Images 7:57PM Pitchman predictions Is this sign showing us how the goals will be scored tonight? It wouldn't be a surprise with Giroud on the pitch A sign on the pitch pre-match Credit: Getty Images 7:53PM What it's all about Regardless of the result, I get the sense that these fans will still enjoy their night. Always good to see decent away support - especially when it's a longer journey. At an awkward time. On an awkward day... �� | The black and amber faithful have arrived at Stamford Bridge! #CHEHUL#EmiratesFACuppic.twitter.com/WzSVkPnmaZ— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 7:51PM Not long to go... A reminder of both teams CHELSEA Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro. Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata HULL Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:36PM It's baaaack! It's another test for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) tonight. The last time it made an appearance at Stamford Bridge it worked in the Blues favour. The officials decided not to overturn Willian's yellow card for simulation. Will it be decisive tonight? 7:31PM The visitors Hull have made seven changes ahead of their trip to the current Premier League champions, which isn't a huge surprise given their precarious league position. They are currently 21st in the Championship - one point above the relegation zone - after being relegated from the top flight last season. You'd suspect that Nigel Adkins priorities will be preventing a second consecutive relegation. Prior to the game, he said: "It's a challenging scenario, and like I've said we will need a little bit of cup magic to help us." 7:25PM I'm not a fan Half and half scarfs Credit: Getty 7:23PM A Chelsea debut Emerson Palmieri will make his debut for the Blues tonight. The Brazilian-born Italian defender will wear the number 33 shirt and will just go by his first name. He tends to play on the left and he gets his first start after joining the club from Roma in the summer. The fee was rumoured to be £17.72m with £8m in add-ons. He did play for the Brazilian under-17s but was granted permission to switch to Italy last year. 7:15PM Let's start with some team news This is how the home team will line up this evening... Chelsea: Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata And the injury-ravaged visitors will start the game like this... Hull: Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:12PM Hello Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the FA Cup fifth round tie between Chelsea and Hull City. 7:11PM Preview Chelsea go into their game against Hull City on the back of 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. Antonio Conte will be buoyed by the fact that new signing Olivier Giroud looks to have settled in well, with the Frenchman creating the opening goal for start man Eden Hazard. They are bidding to win the competition for the eighth time after last lifting the trophy in 2012 when they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final at Wembley stadium. Hull boss Nigel Adkins is heading to Chelsea with a mindset of "all to gain, nothing to lose" given his side's injury, ineligibility and suspension worries. Few expect the struggling Championship side to defeat the reigning Premier League champions in Friday's FA Cup fifth-round encounter at Stamford Bridge. Adkins is having to deal with a spate of absentees and a defensive shortfall, with the on-loan Chelsea trio of Michael Hector, Ola Aina and Fikayo Tomori unable to face their parent club. Fellow defenders Stephen Kingsley, Ondrej Mazuch and Moses Odubajo are injured, while Angus MacDonald could be the only senior first-team centre-back available unless Michael Dawson can prove his fitness. "They're forced changes," Adkins said. "It's not as if we want to make all these changes. "You get to the fifth round of the FA Cup and you start dreaming about things, don't you? "I would love to be able to say this is our strongest team to go out there and play, everybody in their best positions, in the formation that's going to suit everybody to give an opportunity to win the game. "On Friday we will be playing players out of position. "I haven't got a problem with that, it's the way it is. We've just got to deal with it." Markus Henriksen, James Weir and Seb Larsson - who is suspended - are also unavailable for the trip to Chelsea, while Kamil Grosicki and Abel Hernandez are coming back from injury.

Chelsea 4 Hull City 0: Olivier Giroud off the mark for Blues as striker bags his first goal in FA Cup stroll

It will be Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and others at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday but for the warm-up act it was a struggling Hull City from the Championship fielding a makeshift team in an FA Cup fifth-round tie that was over within half an hour for Antonio Conte’s team. This was not a great night for the Cup, especially when Nigel Adkins made seven changes from his previous Championship team and a side already suffering around 12 injuries and ineligible players were taken apart with four Chelsea goals in the first half. You only need to know that two of Adkins’ regular back four are Chelsea loanees Michael Hector and Ola Aina, both unable to play in this tie, and a third Chelsea man Fiyako Tomori was also absent for the same reason. There was a first Chelsea goal for Olivier Giroud since his arrival from Arsenal last month, and there were moments when the Brazilian Willian gave Hull a reminder of what the quality was like in the Premier League – including a goal within 106 seconds of the kick-off. Willian scored twice before half-time and there was another from Pedro, with Hull looking every inch a team who were trying to get in and out of west London with the minimum of embarrassment. Conte gave a debut to his other January signing, the left-back Emerson Palmieri from Roma, and later he brought on another debutant, Kyle Scott, a 20 year-old from the academy who has largely been making up the numbers in the first-team training sessions. There were two 17 year-olds on the pitch for Chelsea in the second half, with Ethan Ampadu starting the game at the centre of a three-man defence and Callum Hudson-Odoi, the academy’s latest hot prospect, a replacement for Pedro. Nathan Ampadu gives a confident performance in defence Credit: Getty Images Willian’s performance has given Conte reason to consider his line-up for Tuesday’s Champions League round of 16 first leg, with the Chelsea manager admitting. “I'm very happy. Before an important game, against Barcelona, tonight I go to my house with many doubts in my mind, which is the best starting XI to start the game against Barcelona. But it's right to be so. We must take the right time to make the best decision to pick the best XI to start that game.” A very different Hull team had unexpectedly beaten Nottingham Forest at the City Ground the previous Saturday but with a Championship game against Middlesbrough awaiting on Tuesday, Adkins was a manager with a lot of injuries to deal with and priorities elsewhere. He was without his top goalscorer Jarrod Bowen who, Adkins said later, might miss Tuesday’s game with a damaged hamstring. “We came with a game-plan,” Adkins said, and admitted that the plan did not make it to the end of the second minute, although his team managed to get through the second half without conceding. “Everyone knew our situation – and within a couple of minutes it goes out of the window. We gifted them the opportunities to score some goals in the first half. “But, wow, Chelsea have got some good players and counter-attack so quickly. In the second half, fair credit to them [Hull], they gave it a go and we did what we had hoped to do initially.” Willian celebrates his first goal Credit: AFP The 2014 FA Cup finalists are toppling badly, a point outside the Championship relegation zone and suffering all the familiar symptoms of a club in crisis: an owner desperate to sell, a fanbase in rebellion and a squad patched together. They missed a second-half penalty taken by David Meyler who had been one of those Hull players suffering in their attempts to put a challenge in on Willian in the first half. It was a brutal first half for Kevin Stewart, previously of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, who was guilty of losing possession to Giroud twice for the first and third goals, both scored by Willian. The Brazilian is clearly a cut above anyone on the Hull team and he punctuated the first half with a few moments of great quality, a flick with the instep, and two goals dispatched – one with his left foot and one with his right. For his first, Willian hit a brilliant shot past David Marshall after Stewart had turned into trouble in midfield. His second goal, and Chelsea’s third, was hit with his right, shaped inside the post after Stewart had again been dispossessed by Giroud. Willy Caballero saves David Meyler's penalty Credit: Getty Images Between times there was a ball flighted over the top of Hull’s defence by Cesc Fabregas which Pedro took with an immaculate first touch with his right and beat Marshall with his left. The fourth came just before half-time when Meyler had the ball put through his legs by Emerson on the left and Giroud clipped a near-post shot in from the cross for his first Chelsea goal. There was a penalty for Hull in the second half, conceded without complaint by Fabregas who was far too slow getting across to challenge Harry Wilson, on loan at Hull from Liverpool. The 20 year-old landed awkwardly on his shoulder, and eventually had to go off as a consequence, although not before he had seen Meyler’s penalty saved by Willy Caballero, who got the rebound too. Alvaro Morata came off the bench to replace Giroud and it will be interesting to see who Conte starts from the pair in the Champions League tie on Tuesday. The Chelsea manager confirmed that Marcos Alonso will be back for that tie. “I consider Barcelona one of the best teams in the world,” Conte said later. “On one side, you must be a bit sad to play against them. But, on the other hand, you must be excited. You have to try and compete with them at this level. It won't be easy, for sure, but we must have the right confidence and then we'll see what happens.” 9:56PM FULL-TIME! 4-0 And it's all over at Stamford Bridge officially, although it felt over at half-time with the Blues four goals ahead. Chelsea may have been the heavy favourites but they didn't take that for granted and clearly took their opponents as serious as any other. Fabregas was very good, pinging perfect crosses all over the pitch and Willian took his opportunity with Barcelona just a few days away. Nigel Adkins can be impressed with his teams second half performance, and he may leave London with a bit more confidence for the relegation battle they are facing. 9:51PM 90 + 2 mins It's straight up the other end and it's Fraizer Campbell but Caballero makes another easy save. And we're back again but Zappacosta's cross is too close to Marshall. 9:49PM 89 mins (4-0) Everyone thinks the game is pretty much over but not Willian who picks up the ball about 25 yard out and with those tricky feet he sends another curling shot towards goal. But it's off the post. What a shame! The Brazilian would've deserved his hat-trick. 9:47PM Last Hull change Jackson Irvine is replaced by Dan Batty 9:43PM 84 mins (4-0) Another Hull chance. Dawson plays in Toral on the right wing and he weaves his way to the edge of the box before passing to Diomande, but the forward can't get a head to it. Chelsea are pretty much chilling right now. Like a student in the last ten minutes of an exam that they know they've aced. 9:39PM 80 mins (4-0) Meyler is the next Hull player to try his luck but Cabellero is equal to it. You get the sense that Chelsea have no intention of doing anything silly but they also don't want to exert too much energy with Barcelona on the horizon. A lot of short and/or sideways passes, except for Willian who heads for goal every time the ball is at his feet. 9:37PM 77 mins Really good save from Marshall to save from Drinkwater after it's deflected off one of his defenders. Prior to this the Tigers had kept four clean sheets in their last seven games although McGregor got three of those. 9:32PM 73 mins (4-0) Just under 20 minutes left at Stamford Bridge and Conte won't want his team relaxing now. Morata's first real involvement is to win a corner for his team, it's out and the Blues have another. It falls to Cahill and you would expect him to score but he can't sort his feet out in time. 9:32PM Hull change Nouha Dicko is replaced by Frazier Campbell. Yes, THAT Fraizer Campbell. 9:31PM Final Chelsea change Olivier Giroud departs for Alvaro Morata 9:27PM 68 mins Cabellero is screaming at his defenders after he saves from Dicko at his near post, with the shot coming off his knee. Conte won't be happy with the chances that Hull are creating but Ampadu, in particular, is getting the chance to show his ability. Hull waste another moment of possession as Chelsea get the ball from their corner. Willian is on the edge of the box again and he shoots for his hat-trick but it's blocked. And Zappacosta can't take advantage of the rebound. 9:24PM 64 mins (4-0) Neither team has control at the moment, but Hull will be buzzing with their improvement from the opening half. In regards to possession and number of passes, it's very easily balanced. I guess the challenge for the visitors is to at least draw the second-half, preferably with a clean sheet. 9:22PM Chelsea change Cesc Fabregas is replaced by another debutant, Kyle Scott. 9:21PM Some info on Hudson-Odoi If you aren't familiar with his name, you need to pay more attention to non first-team players. Blues fans have been raving about the 17-year-old for a while and calling for him to get some proper league action. He's been at the club since he was eight, he won the January PL2 Player of the Month award, he's a forward and stands at 6ft. 9:19PM A rare sight Is any other club account so factual and blunt? 56 | Irvine collects the ball on the edge of the area and has a go but his shot is too weak and easy for the Chelsea goalkeeper #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 9:15PM 56 mins (4-0) The home side appear to be a bit unnerved by their visitors in this half. Irvine - who has been Hull's best player - is the latest to have a snapshot but it doesn't have enough power and it doesn't have the height to trouble the Blues keeper. 9:15PM Hull change Harry Wilson makes way for Jon Toral 9:14PM Penalty peeve Just to clarify, Cabellero SAVED Meyler's spot-kick. Meyler did not MISS the penalty. It was on target - therefore it cannot be a miss and the keeper prevented it from crossing the line - by saving it. 9:11PM PENALTY! Meyler has to move the ball because it was evading the white penalty spot. Meyler looks confident and it's a decent strike but... SAVED! Big Willy C goes to his right and makes it look so easy. A chance wasted for the Tigers. 9:09PM 48 mins (4-0) Have Hull been replaced during half-time? Do we have a modern day example of Bodysnatchers because we're early on in this half and they look a completely different team. It's been all them and Ampadu has to send the ball into Row Z to stop a chance, and is that Fabregas trying to tackle... 9:04PM Change for Chelsea Pedro is replaced by Callum Hudson-Odoi 8:51PM HALF-TIME. (4-0) Conte might have a happier press conference today. Chelsea have been calm, patient and composed in a game they were heavy favourites to win. Hull have been disappointing because regardless of your injury woes, you have to do the simple stuff. And they don't seem able to do them well, or at all. 8:48PM 45 + 2 mins Hull have shown more attacking prowess and had more touches in the last three minutes than the previous 44. That says it all... 8:47PM 45 mins (4-0) Fabregas has been reminding everyone in Stamford Bridge of his talents tonight. His passing has been immaculate in this first half. Cabellero just touched the ball! This is not a drill. It was a weak header but at least it gave him something to do. Two minutes of added time. Basically 30 seconds for each goal. 8:44PM Goal! Girouuuuuuuddddddddddd And there it is, his first goal for his new club. The ball bounces around the box and falls to Emerson who crosses at the second attempt, with the ball falling at the feet of the Frenchman. Giroud kisses the debutants head to show his appreciation. 8:42PM 42 mins (3-0) Even when Hull do venture into Chelsea's half, you don't sense that anything will happen unless it's a Chelsea mistake. 8:39PM 38 mins (3-0) Chelsea just playing the ball around the Hull players at the moment as they surely feel confident with their three goal lead. Marshall collects a speculative effort and sends it forward and Evandro attempts something, I'm not sure what as it's nowhere near the goal or one of his teammates. He could've just tried to hold it up... 8:35PM Goal! Willian The Brazilian gets his brace and it is far too simple. Willian plays a back heel into the middle of the park, just outside the box and the visitors should clear it but Giroud is stronger than Dawson and keeps possession to play in his advancing teammate, who makes it 3-0. 8:32PM 31 mins (2-0) The visitors seriously need to get some composure if they are to keep the score at 2-0 until half-time, because at the moment Chelsea are the team that are the Tigers. And Hull are their prey... 8:29PM Goal! Pedro It was coming. Giroud plays in Fabregas and he sends one of those perfect balls up for Pedro. The Spainard brings it down and sends it past Marshall to double their lead. 8:28PM 26 mins (1-0) Emerson shows that he has the ability to start the attack as his run down the left draws a foul from Meyler. It's just outside the box on the near side but the ref blows for a foul to give Hull a goal-kick. It looks like there was dome pushing from Rudiger. A little error from the youngster Ampadu who takes a little too long in his own box but Cabellero is there to clear the danger. He then atones for his mistake by sending a long ball over the top to Willian, who sets up Pedro but Marshall is there to make the easy save. 8:24PM 22 mins (1-0) All Hull's attacks have comes through Irvine, but every time he charges through midfield and then tries to play in Dicko; a blue shirt is there. Michael Dawson - who should know better - concedes a silly free-kick to help Chelsea on their way. Willian is running riot through the Tigers defense this evening. And although Hull keep managing to clear the ball, it's only as far as another Chelsea player. 8:20PM 19 mins The Blues play is very calm at the moment. They obviously have the majority of possession but they aren't rushing their play. Another chance for Giroud as Drinkwater sends a curving ball into the box after collecting Willian's pass but the Frenchman can't get there quick enough. 8:17PM At least they're honest 13 | It should be two. Giroud finds himself free in the area after a chip from Pedro but the striker pokes the ball over Marshall's crossbar #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 8:16PM 14 mins A little better. They get a corner and send it to the edge of the box before Stewart tees it up for Irvine but he heads it over. Zappacosta passes to Pedro on the edge of the box and he chips it over the Hull defence for Giroud but the striker can't keep it down, despite it being on his left foot. Ooh! A very lucky moment for the visitors. Fabregas sends a lovely ball through several Hull players for Pedro, but Marshall manages to get something on it and it's out for a corner. 8:12PM 11 mins Another Chelsea break and this time Willian sends a ball across the box for Giroud but the Frenchman wasn't alert to the opportunity. Hull get a free kick in the middle of the park and it's too long for anyone. It's a wasteful moment from the visitors who will need to use their deadball situations better if they are to test the current Premier League champions. 8:09PM 8 mins The visitors are playing in a 5-4-1 but they're pretty much stuck in their own half. Stewart sends a long ball forward for Dicko, but again, it's no problem for the Chelsea defense. Fabregas takes a short corner and plays a 1-2 with Willian before taking the shot, but Marshall saves down low at his near post. 8:06PM 5 mins Such a silly mistake by Stewart to lose the ball where he did, he should've known the Blues players were surrounding him. But confident from Willian to swing it round Marshall. Hull have a little bit of possession but with a lone striker when it does get near the Chelsea box, it's easily cleared by Rudiger. 8:03PM Goal! Chelsea are already attacking. Hull loss possession about 30 yards out and Willian gets on the ball, twisting around the Tigers defence and curling it in at the far post. 8:02PM Kick-off! The home team get us started and Hull are set up like a team who know they will be on the back foot for most of the game. 7:59PM Tunnel time The teams are heading out onto the pitch, at a packed Stamford Bridge. Who will be one step nearer to that iconic silverware when the final whistle blows? The FA Cup Credit: Getty Images 7:57PM Pitchman predictions Is this sign showing us how the goals will be scored tonight? It wouldn't be a surprise with Giroud on the pitch A sign on the pitch pre-match Credit: Getty Images 7:53PM What it's all about Regardless of the result, I get the sense that these fans will still enjoy their night. Always good to see decent away support - especially when it's a longer journey. At an awkward time. On an awkward day... �� | The black and amber faithful have arrived at Stamford Bridge! #CHEHUL#EmiratesFACuppic.twitter.com/WzSVkPnmaZ— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 7:51PM Not long to go... A reminder of both teams CHELSEA Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro. Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata HULL Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:36PM It's baaaack! It's another test for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) tonight. The last time it made an appearance at Stamford Bridge it worked in the Blues favour. The officials decided not to overturn Willian's yellow card for simulation. Will it be decisive tonight? 7:31PM The visitors Hull have made seven changes ahead of their trip to the current Premier League champions, which isn't a huge surprise given their precarious league position. They are currently 21st in the Championship - one point above the relegation zone - after being relegated from the top flight last season. You'd suspect that Nigel Adkins priorities will be preventing a second consecutive relegation. Prior to the game, he said: "It's a challenging scenario, and like I've said we will need a little bit of cup magic to help us." 7:25PM I'm not a fan Half and half scarfs Credit: Getty 7:23PM A Chelsea debut Emerson Palmieri will make his debut for the Blues tonight. The Brazilian-born Italian defender will wear the number 33 shirt and will just go by his first name. He tends to play on the left and he gets his first start after joining the club from Roma in the summer. The fee was rumoured to be £17.72m with £8m in add-ons. He did play for the Brazilian under-17s but was granted permission to switch to Italy last year. 7:15PM Let's start with some team news This is how the home team will line up this evening... Chelsea: Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata And the injury-ravaged visitors will start the game like this... Hull: Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:12PM Hello Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the FA Cup fifth round tie between Chelsea and Hull City. 7:11PM Preview Chelsea go into their game against Hull City on the back of 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. Antonio Conte will be buoyed by the fact that new signing Olivier Giroud looks to have settled in well, with the Frenchman creating the opening goal for start man Eden Hazard. They are bidding to win the competition for the eighth time after last lifting the trophy in 2012 when they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final at Wembley stadium. Hull boss Nigel Adkins is heading to Chelsea with a mindset of "all to gain, nothing to lose" given his side's injury, ineligibility and suspension worries. Few expect the struggling Championship side to defeat the reigning Premier League champions in Friday's FA Cup fifth-round encounter at Stamford Bridge. Adkins is having to deal with a spate of absentees and a defensive shortfall, with the on-loan Chelsea trio of Michael Hector, Ola Aina and Fikayo Tomori unable to face their parent club. Fellow defenders Stephen Kingsley, Ondrej Mazuch and Moses Odubajo are injured, while Angus MacDonald could be the only senior first-team centre-back available unless Michael Dawson can prove his fitness. "They're forced changes," Adkins said. "It's not as if we want to make all these changes. "You get to the fifth round of the FA Cup and you start dreaming about things, don't you? "I would love to be able to say this is our strongest team to go out there and play, everybody in their best positions, in the formation that's going to suit everybody to give an opportunity to win the game. "On Friday we will be playing players out of position. "I haven't got a problem with that, it's the way it is. We've just got to deal with it." Markus Henriksen, James Weir and Seb Larsson - who is suspended - are also unavailable for the trip to Chelsea, while Kamil Grosicki and Abel Hernandez are coming back from injury.

Chelsea 4 Hull City 0: Olivier Giroud off the mark for Blues as striker bags his first goal in FA Cup stroll

It will be Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and others at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday but for the warm-up act it was a struggling Hull City from the Championship fielding a makeshift team in an FA Cup fifth-round tie that was over within half an hour for Antonio Conte’s team. This was not a great night for the Cup, especially when Nigel Adkins made seven changes from his previous Championship team and a side already suffering around 12 injuries and ineligible players were taken apart with four Chelsea goals in the first half. You only need to know that two of Adkins’ regular back four are Chelsea loanees Michael Hector and Ola Aina, both unable to play in this tie, and a third Chelsea man Fiyako Tomori was also absent for the same reason. There was a first Chelsea goal for Olivier Giroud since his arrival from Arsenal last month, and there were moments when the Brazilian Willian gave Hull a reminder of what the quality was like in the Premier League – including a goal within 106 seconds of the kick-off. Willian scored twice before half-time and there was another from Pedro, with Hull looking every inch a team who were trying to get in and out of west London with the minimum of embarrassment. Conte gave a debut to his other January signing, the left-back Emerson Palmieri from Roma, and later he brought on another debutant, Kyle Scott, a 20 year-old from the academy who has largely been making up the numbers in the first-team training sessions. There were two 17 year-olds on the pitch for Chelsea in the second half, with Ethan Ampadu starting the game at the centre of a three-man defence and Callum Hudson-Odoi, the academy’s latest hot prospect, a replacement for Pedro. Nathan Ampadu gives a confident performance in defence Credit: Getty Images Willian’s performance has given Conte reason to consider his line-up for Tuesday’s Champions League round of 16 first leg, with the Chelsea manager admitting. “I'm very happy. Before an important game, against Barcelona, tonight I go to my house with many doubts in my mind, which is the best starting XI to start the game against Barcelona. But it's right to be so. We must take the right time to make the best decision to pick the best XI to start that game.” A very different Hull team had unexpectedly beaten Nottingham Forest at the City Ground the previous Saturday but with a Championship game against Middlesbrough awaiting on Tuesday, Adkins was a manager with a lot of injuries to deal with and priorities elsewhere. He was without his top goalscorer Jarrod Bowen who, Adkins said later, might miss Tuesday’s game with a damaged hamstring. “We came with a game-plan,” Adkins said, and admitted that the plan did not make it to the end of the second minute, although his team managed to get through the second half without conceding. “Everyone knew our situation – and within a couple of minutes it goes out of the window. We gifted them the opportunities to score some goals in the first half. “But, wow, Chelsea have got some good players and counter-attack so quickly. In the second half, fair credit to them [Hull], they gave it a go and we did what we had hoped to do initially.” Willian celebrates his first goal Credit: AFP The 2014 FA Cup finalists are toppling badly, a point outside the Championship relegation zone and suffering all the familiar symptoms of a club in crisis: an owner desperate to sell, a fanbase in rebellion and a squad patched together. They missed a second-half penalty taken by David Meyler who had been one of those Hull players suffering in their attempts to put a challenge in on Willian in the first half. It was a brutal first half for Kevin Stewart, previously of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, who was guilty of losing possession to Giroud twice for the first and third goals, both scored by Willian. The Brazilian is clearly a cut above anyone on the Hull team and he punctuated the first half with a few moments of great quality, a flick with the instep, and two goals dispatched – one with his left foot and one with his right. For his first, Willian hit a brilliant shot past David Marshall after Stewart had turned into trouble in midfield. His second goal, and Chelsea’s third, was hit with his right, shaped inside the post after Stewart had again been dispossessed by Giroud. Willy Caballero saves David Meyler's penalty Credit: Getty Images Between times there was a ball flighted over the top of Hull’s defence by Cesc Fabregas which Pedro took with an immaculate first touch with his right and beat Marshall with his left. The fourth came just before half-time when Meyler had the ball put through his legs by Emerson on the left and Giroud clipped a near-post shot in from the cross for his first Chelsea goal. There was a penalty for Hull in the second half, conceded without complaint by Fabregas who was far too slow getting across to challenge Harry Wilson, on loan at Hull from Liverpool. The 20 year-old landed awkwardly on his shoulder, and eventually had to go off as a consequence, although not before he had seen Meyler’s penalty saved by Willy Caballero, who got the rebound too. Alvaro Morata came off the bench to replace Giroud and it will be interesting to see who Conte starts from the pair in the Champions League tie on Tuesday. The Chelsea manager confirmed that Marcos Alonso will be back for that tie. “I consider Barcelona one of the best teams in the world,” Conte said later. “On one side, you must be a bit sad to play against them. But, on the other hand, you must be excited. You have to try and compete with them at this level. It won't be easy, for sure, but we must have the right confidence and then we'll see what happens.” 9:56PM FULL-TIME! 4-0 And it's all over at Stamford Bridge officially, although it felt over at half-time with the Blues four goals ahead. Chelsea may have been the heavy favourites but they didn't take that for granted and clearly took their opponents as serious as any other. Fabregas was very good, pinging perfect crosses all over the pitch and Willian took his opportunity with Barcelona just a few days away. Nigel Adkins can be impressed with his teams second half performance, and he may leave London with a bit more confidence for the relegation battle they are facing. 9:51PM 90 + 2 mins It's straight up the other end and it's Fraizer Campbell but Caballero makes another easy save. And we're back again but Zappacosta's cross is too close to Marshall. 9:49PM 89 mins (4-0) Everyone thinks the game is pretty much over but not Willian who picks up the ball about 25 yard out and with those tricky feet he sends another curling shot towards goal. But it's off the post. What a shame! The Brazilian would've deserved his hat-trick. 9:47PM Last Hull change Jackson Irvine is replaced by Dan Batty 9:43PM 84 mins (4-0) Another Hull chance. Dawson plays in Toral on the right wing and he weaves his way to the edge of the box before passing to Diomande, but the forward can't get a head to it. Chelsea are pretty much chilling right now. Like a student in the last ten minutes of an exam that they know they've aced. 9:39PM 80 mins (4-0) Meyler is the next Hull player to try his luck but Cabellero is equal to it. You get the sense that Chelsea have no intention of doing anything silly but they also don't want to exert too much energy with Barcelona on the horizon. A lot of short and/or sideways passes, except for Willian who heads for goal every time the ball is at his feet. 9:37PM 77 mins Really good save from Marshall to save from Drinkwater after it's deflected off one of his defenders. Prior to this the Tigers had kept four clean sheets in their last seven games although McGregor got three of those. 9:32PM 73 mins (4-0) Just under 20 minutes left at Stamford Bridge and Conte won't want his team relaxing now. Morata's first real involvement is to win a corner for his team, it's out and the Blues have another. It falls to Cahill and you would expect him to score but he can't sort his feet out in time. 9:32PM Hull change Nouha Dicko is replaced by Frazier Campbell. Yes, THAT Fraizer Campbell. 9:31PM Final Chelsea change Olivier Giroud departs for Alvaro Morata 9:27PM 68 mins Cabellero is screaming at his defenders after he saves from Dicko at his near post, with the shot coming off his knee. Conte won't be happy with the chances that Hull are creating but Ampadu, in particular, is getting the chance to show his ability. Hull waste another moment of possession as Chelsea get the ball from their corner. Willian is on the edge of the box again and he shoots for his hat-trick but it's blocked. And Zappacosta can't take advantage of the rebound. 9:24PM 64 mins (4-0) Neither team has control at the moment, but Hull will be buzzing with their improvement from the opening half. In regards to possession and number of passes, it's very easily balanced. I guess the challenge for the visitors is to at least draw the second-half, preferably with a clean sheet. 9:22PM Chelsea change Cesc Fabregas is replaced by another debutant, Kyle Scott. 9:21PM Some info on Hudson-Odoi If you aren't familiar with his name, you need to pay more attention to non first-team players. Blues fans have been raving about the 17-year-old for a while and calling for him to get some proper league action. He's been at the club since he was eight, he won the January PL2 Player of the Month award, he's a forward and stands at 6ft. 9:19PM A rare sight Is any other club account so factual and blunt? 56 | Irvine collects the ball on the edge of the area and has a go but his shot is too weak and easy for the Chelsea goalkeeper #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 9:15PM 56 mins (4-0) The home side appear to be a bit unnerved by their visitors in this half. Irvine - who has been Hull's best player - is the latest to have a snapshot but it doesn't have enough power and it doesn't have the height to trouble the Blues keeper. 9:15PM Hull change Harry Wilson makes way for Jon Toral 9:14PM Penalty peeve Just to clarify, Cabellero SAVED Meyler's spot-kick. Meyler did not MISS the penalty. It was on target - therefore it cannot be a miss and the keeper prevented it from crossing the line - by saving it. 9:11PM PENALTY! Meyler has to move the ball because it was evading the white penalty spot. Meyler looks confident and it's a decent strike but... SAVED! Big Willy C goes to his right and makes it look so easy. A chance wasted for the Tigers. 9:09PM 48 mins (4-0) Have Hull been replaced during half-time? Do we have a modern day example of Bodysnatchers because we're early on in this half and they look a completely different team. It's been all them and Ampadu has to send the ball into Row Z to stop a chance, and is that Fabregas trying to tackle... 9:04PM Change for Chelsea Pedro is replaced by Callum Hudson-Odoi 8:51PM HALF-TIME. (4-0) Conte might have a happier press conference today. Chelsea have been calm, patient and composed in a game they were heavy favourites to win. Hull have been disappointing because regardless of your injury woes, you have to do the simple stuff. And they don't seem able to do them well, or at all. 8:48PM 45 + 2 mins Hull have shown more attacking prowess and had more touches in the last three minutes than the previous 44. That says it all... 8:47PM 45 mins (4-0) Fabregas has been reminding everyone in Stamford Bridge of his talents tonight. His passing has been immaculate in this first half. Cabellero just touched the ball! This is not a drill. It was a weak header but at least it gave him something to do. Two minutes of added time. Basically 30 seconds for each goal. 8:44PM Goal! Girouuuuuuuddddddddddd And there it is, his first goal for his new club. The ball bounces around the box and falls to Emerson who crosses at the second attempt, with the ball falling at the feet of the Frenchman. Giroud kisses the debutants head to show his appreciation. 8:42PM 42 mins (3-0) Even when Hull do venture into Chelsea's half, you don't sense that anything will happen unless it's a Chelsea mistake. 8:39PM 38 mins (3-0) Chelsea just playing the ball around the Hull players at the moment as they surely feel confident with their three goal lead. Marshall collects a speculative effort and sends it forward and Evandro attempts something, I'm not sure what as it's nowhere near the goal or one of his teammates. He could've just tried to hold it up... 8:35PM Goal! Willian The Brazilian gets his brace and it is far too simple. Willian plays a back heel into the middle of the park, just outside the box and the visitors should clear it but Giroud is stronger than Dawson and keeps possession to play in his advancing teammate, who makes it 3-0. 8:32PM 31 mins (2-0) The visitors seriously need to get some composure if they are to keep the score at 2-0 until half-time, because at the moment Chelsea are the team that are the Tigers. And Hull are their prey... 8:29PM Goal! Pedro It was coming. Giroud plays in Fabregas and he sends one of those perfect balls up for Pedro. The Spainard brings it down and sends it past Marshall to double their lead. 8:28PM 26 mins (1-0) Emerson shows that he has the ability to start the attack as his run down the left draws a foul from Meyler. It's just outside the box on the near side but the ref blows for a foul to give Hull a goal-kick. It looks like there was dome pushing from Rudiger. A little error from the youngster Ampadu who takes a little too long in his own box but Cabellero is there to clear the danger. He then atones for his mistake by sending a long ball over the top to Willian, who sets up Pedro but Marshall is there to make the easy save. 8:24PM 22 mins (1-0) All Hull's attacks have comes through Irvine, but every time he charges through midfield and then tries to play in Dicko; a blue shirt is there. Michael Dawson - who should know better - concedes a silly free-kick to help Chelsea on their way. Willian is running riot through the Tigers defense this evening. And although Hull keep managing to clear the ball, it's only as far as another Chelsea player. 8:20PM 19 mins The Blues play is very calm at the moment. They obviously have the majority of possession but they aren't rushing their play. Another chance for Giroud as Drinkwater sends a curving ball into the box after collecting Willian's pass but the Frenchman can't get there quick enough. 8:17PM At least they're honest 13 | It should be two. Giroud finds himself free in the area after a chip from Pedro but the striker pokes the ball over Marshall's crossbar #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 8:16PM 14 mins A little better. They get a corner and send it to the edge of the box before Stewart tees it up for Irvine but he heads it over. Zappacosta passes to Pedro on the edge of the box and he chips it over the Hull defence for Giroud but the striker can't keep it down, despite it being on his left foot. Ooh! A very lucky moment for the visitors. Fabregas sends a lovely ball through several Hull players for Pedro, but Marshall manages to get something on it and it's out for a corner. 8:12PM 11 mins Another Chelsea break and this time Willian sends a ball across the box for Giroud but the Frenchman wasn't alert to the opportunity. Hull get a free kick in the middle of the park and it's too long for anyone. It's a wasteful moment from the visitors who will need to use their deadball situations better if they are to test the current Premier League champions. 8:09PM 8 mins The visitors are playing in a 5-4-1 but they're pretty much stuck in their own half. Stewart sends a long ball forward for Dicko, but again, it's no problem for the Chelsea defense. Fabregas takes a short corner and plays a 1-2 with Willian before taking the shot, but Marshall saves down low at his near post. 8:06PM 5 mins Such a silly mistake by Stewart to lose the ball where he did, he should've known the Blues players were surrounding him. But confident from Willian to swing it round Marshall. Hull have a little bit of possession but with a lone striker when it does get near the Chelsea box, it's easily cleared by Rudiger. 8:03PM Goal! Chelsea are already attacking. Hull loss possession about 30 yards out and Willian gets on the ball, twisting around the Tigers defence and curling it in at the far post. 8:02PM Kick-off! The home team get us started and Hull are set up like a team who know they will be on the back foot for most of the game. 7:59PM Tunnel time The teams are heading out onto the pitch, at a packed Stamford Bridge. Who will be one step nearer to that iconic silverware when the final whistle blows? The FA Cup Credit: Getty Images 7:57PM Pitchman predictions Is this sign showing us how the goals will be scored tonight? It wouldn't be a surprise with Giroud on the pitch A sign on the pitch pre-match Credit: Getty Images 7:53PM What it's all about Regardless of the result, I get the sense that these fans will still enjoy their night. Always good to see decent away support - especially when it's a longer journey. At an awkward time. On an awkward day... �� | The black and amber faithful have arrived at Stamford Bridge! #CHEHUL#EmiratesFACuppic.twitter.com/WzSVkPnmaZ— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 7:51PM Not long to go... A reminder of both teams CHELSEA Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro. Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata HULL Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:36PM It's baaaack! It's another test for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) tonight. The last time it made an appearance at Stamford Bridge it worked in the Blues favour. The officials decided not to overturn Willian's yellow card for simulation. Will it be decisive tonight? 7:31PM The visitors Hull have made seven changes ahead of their trip to the current Premier League champions, which isn't a huge surprise given their precarious league position. They are currently 21st in the Championship - one point above the relegation zone - after being relegated from the top flight last season. You'd suspect that Nigel Adkins priorities will be preventing a second consecutive relegation. Prior to the game, he said: "It's a challenging scenario, and like I've said we will need a little bit of cup magic to help us." 7:25PM I'm not a fan Half and half scarfs Credit: Getty 7:23PM A Chelsea debut Emerson Palmieri will make his debut for the Blues tonight. The Brazilian-born Italian defender will wear the number 33 shirt and will just go by his first name. He tends to play on the left and he gets his first start after joining the club from Roma in the summer. The fee was rumoured to be £17.72m with £8m in add-ons. He did play for the Brazilian under-17s but was granted permission to switch to Italy last year. 7:15PM Let's start with some team news This is how the home team will line up this evening... Chelsea: Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata And the injury-ravaged visitors will start the game like this... Hull: Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:12PM Hello Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the FA Cup fifth round tie between Chelsea and Hull City. 7:11PM Preview Chelsea go into their game against Hull City on the back of 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. Antonio Conte will be buoyed by the fact that new signing Olivier Giroud looks to have settled in well, with the Frenchman creating the opening goal for start man Eden Hazard. They are bidding to win the competition for the eighth time after last lifting the trophy in 2012 when they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final at Wembley stadium. Hull boss Nigel Adkins is heading to Chelsea with a mindset of "all to gain, nothing to lose" given his side's injury, ineligibility and suspension worries. Few expect the struggling Championship side to defeat the reigning Premier League champions in Friday's FA Cup fifth-round encounter at Stamford Bridge. Adkins is having to deal with a spate of absentees and a defensive shortfall, with the on-loan Chelsea trio of Michael Hector, Ola Aina and Fikayo Tomori unable to face their parent club. Fellow defenders Stephen Kingsley, Ondrej Mazuch and Moses Odubajo are injured, while Angus MacDonald could be the only senior first-team centre-back available unless Michael Dawson can prove his fitness. "They're forced changes," Adkins said. "It's not as if we want to make all these changes. "You get to the fifth round of the FA Cup and you start dreaming about things, don't you? "I would love to be able to say this is our strongest team to go out there and play, everybody in their best positions, in the formation that's going to suit everybody to give an opportunity to win the game. "On Friday we will be playing players out of position. "I haven't got a problem with that, it's the way it is. We've just got to deal with it." Markus Henriksen, James Weir and Seb Larsson - who is suspended - are also unavailable for the trip to Chelsea, while Kamil Grosicki and Abel Hernandez are coming back from injury.

Chelsea 4 Hull City 0: Olivier Giroud off the mark for Blues as striker bags his first goal in FA Cup stroll

It will be Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and others at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday but for the warm-up act it was a struggling Hull City from the Championship fielding a makeshift team in an FA Cup fifth-round tie that was over within half an hour for Antonio Conte’s team. This was not a great night for the Cup, especially when Nigel Adkins made seven changes from his previous Championship team and a side already suffering around 12 injuries and ineligible players were taken apart with four Chelsea goals in the first half. You only need to know that two of Adkins’ regular back four are Chelsea loanees Michael Hector and Ola Aina, both unable to play in this tie, and a third Chelsea man Fiyako Tomori was also absent for the same reason. There was a first Chelsea goal for Olivier Giroud since his arrival from Arsenal last month, and there were moments when the Brazilian Willian gave Hull a reminder of what the quality was like in the Premier League – including a goal within 106 seconds of the kick-off. Willian scored twice before half-time and there was another from Pedro, with Hull looking every inch a team who were trying to get in and out of west London with the minimum of embarrassment. Conte gave a debut to his other January signing, the left-back Emerson Palmieri from Roma, and later he brought on another debutant, Kyle Scott, a 20 year-old from the academy who has largely been making up the numbers in the first-team training sessions. There were two 17 year-olds on the pitch for Chelsea in the second half, with Ethan Ampadu starting the game at the centre of a three-man defence and Callum Hudson-Odoi, the academy’s latest hot prospect, a replacement for Pedro. Nathan Ampadu gives a confident performance in defence Credit: Getty Images Willian’s performance has given Conte reason to consider his line-up for Tuesday’s Champions League round of 16 first leg, with the Chelsea manager admitting. “I'm very happy. Before an important game, against Barcelona, tonight I go to my house with many doubts in my mind, which is the best starting XI to start the game against Barcelona. But it's right to be so. We must take the right time to make the best decision to pick the best XI to start that game.” A very different Hull team had unexpectedly beaten Nottingham Forest at the City Ground the previous Saturday but with a Championship game against Middlesbrough awaiting on Tuesday, Adkins was a manager with a lot of injuries to deal with and priorities elsewhere. He was without his top goalscorer Jarrod Bowen who, Adkins said later, might miss Tuesday’s game with a damaged hamstring. “We came with a game-plan,” Adkins said, and admitted that the plan did not make it to the end of the second minute, although his team managed to get through the second half without conceding. “Everyone knew our situation – and within a couple of minutes it goes out of the window. We gifted them the opportunities to score some goals in the first half. “But, wow, Chelsea have got some good players and counter-attack so quickly. In the second half, fair credit to them [Hull], they gave it a go and we did what we had hoped to do initially.” Willian celebrates his first goal Credit: AFP The 2014 FA Cup finalists are toppling badly, a point outside the Championship relegation zone and suffering all the familiar symptoms of a club in crisis: an owner desperate to sell, a fanbase in rebellion and a squad patched together. They missed a second-half penalty taken by David Meyler who had been one of those Hull players suffering in their attempts to put a challenge in on Willian in the first half. It was a brutal first half for Kevin Stewart, previously of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, who was guilty of losing possession to Giroud twice for the first and third goals, both scored by Willian. The Brazilian is clearly a cut above anyone on the Hull team and he punctuated the first half with a few moments of great quality, a flick with the instep, and two goals dispatched – one with his left foot and one with his right. For his first, Willian hit a brilliant shot past David Marshall after Stewart had turned into trouble in midfield. His second goal, and Chelsea’s third, was hit with his right, shaped inside the post after Stewart had again been dispossessed by Giroud. Willy Caballero saves David Meyler's penalty Credit: Getty Images Between times there was a ball flighted over the top of Hull’s defence by Cesc Fabregas which Pedro took with an immaculate first touch with his right and beat Marshall with his left. The fourth came just before half-time when Meyler had the ball put through his legs by Emerson on the left and Giroud clipped a near-post shot in from the cross for his first Chelsea goal. There was a penalty for Hull in the second half, conceded without complaint by Fabregas who was far too slow getting across to challenge Harry Wilson, on loan at Hull from Liverpool. The 20 year-old landed awkwardly on his shoulder, and eventually had to go off as a consequence, although not before he had seen Meyler’s penalty saved by Willy Caballero, who got the rebound too. Alvaro Morata came off the bench to replace Giroud and it will be interesting to see who Conte starts from the pair in the Champions League tie on Tuesday. The Chelsea manager confirmed that Marcos Alonso will be back for that tie. “I consider Barcelona one of the best teams in the world,” Conte said later. “On one side, you must be a bit sad to play against them. But, on the other hand, you must be excited. You have to try and compete with them at this level. It won't be easy, for sure, but we must have the right confidence and then we'll see what happens.” 9:56PM FULL-TIME! 4-0 And it's all over at Stamford Bridge officially, although it felt over at half-time with the Blues four goals ahead. Chelsea may have been the heavy favourites but they didn't take that for granted and clearly took their opponents as serious as any other. Fabregas was very good, pinging perfect crosses all over the pitch and Willian took his opportunity with Barcelona just a few days away. Nigel Adkins can be impressed with his teams second half performance, and he may leave London with a bit more confidence for the relegation battle they are facing. 9:51PM 90 + 2 mins It's straight up the other end and it's Fraizer Campbell but Caballero makes another easy save. And we're back again but Zappacosta's cross is too close to Marshall. 9:49PM 89 mins (4-0) Everyone thinks the game is pretty much over but not Willian who picks up the ball about 25 yard out and with those tricky feet he sends another curling shot towards goal. But it's off the post. What a shame! The Brazilian would've deserved his hat-trick. 9:47PM Last Hull change Jackson Irvine is replaced by Dan Batty 9:43PM 84 mins (4-0) Another Hull chance. Dawson plays in Toral on the right wing and he weaves his way to the edge of the box before passing to Diomande, but the forward can't get a head to it. Chelsea are pretty much chilling right now. Like a student in the last ten minutes of an exam that they know they've aced. 9:39PM 80 mins (4-0) Meyler is the next Hull player to try his luck but Cabellero is equal to it. You get the sense that Chelsea have no intention of doing anything silly but they also don't want to exert too much energy with Barcelona on the horizon. A lot of short and/or sideways passes, except for Willian who heads for goal every time the ball is at his feet. 9:37PM 77 mins Really good save from Marshall to save from Drinkwater after it's deflected off one of his defenders. Prior to this the Tigers had kept four clean sheets in their last seven games although McGregor got three of those. 9:32PM 73 mins (4-0) Just under 20 minutes left at Stamford Bridge and Conte won't want his team relaxing now. Morata's first real involvement is to win a corner for his team, it's out and the Blues have another. It falls to Cahill and you would expect him to score but he can't sort his feet out in time. 9:32PM Hull change Nouha Dicko is replaced by Frazier Campbell. Yes, THAT Fraizer Campbell. 9:31PM Final Chelsea change Olivier Giroud departs for Alvaro Morata 9:27PM 68 mins Cabellero is screaming at his defenders after he saves from Dicko at his near post, with the shot coming off his knee. Conte won't be happy with the chances that Hull are creating but Ampadu, in particular, is getting the chance to show his ability. Hull waste another moment of possession as Chelsea get the ball from their corner. Willian is on the edge of the box again and he shoots for his hat-trick but it's blocked. And Zappacosta can't take advantage of the rebound. 9:24PM 64 mins (4-0) Neither team has control at the moment, but Hull will be buzzing with their improvement from the opening half. In regards to possession and number of passes, it's very easily balanced. I guess the challenge for the visitors is to at least draw the second-half, preferably with a clean sheet. 9:22PM Chelsea change Cesc Fabregas is replaced by another debutant, Kyle Scott. 9:21PM Some info on Hudson-Odoi If you aren't familiar with his name, you need to pay more attention to non first-team players. Blues fans have been raving about the 17-year-old for a while and calling for him to get some proper league action. He's been at the club since he was eight, he won the January PL2 Player of the Month award, he's a forward and stands at 6ft. 9:19PM A rare sight Is any other club account so factual and blunt? 56 | Irvine collects the ball on the edge of the area and has a go but his shot is too weak and easy for the Chelsea goalkeeper #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 9:15PM 56 mins (4-0) The home side appear to be a bit unnerved by their visitors in this half. Irvine - who has been Hull's best player - is the latest to have a snapshot but it doesn't have enough power and it doesn't have the height to trouble the Blues keeper. 9:15PM Hull change Harry Wilson makes way for Jon Toral 9:14PM Penalty peeve Just to clarify, Cabellero SAVED Meyler's spot-kick. Meyler did not MISS the penalty. It was on target - therefore it cannot be a miss and the keeper prevented it from crossing the line - by saving it. 9:11PM PENALTY! Meyler has to move the ball because it was evading the white penalty spot. Meyler looks confident and it's a decent strike but... SAVED! Big Willy C goes to his right and makes it look so easy. A chance wasted for the Tigers. 9:09PM 48 mins (4-0) Have Hull been replaced during half-time? Do we have a modern day example of Bodysnatchers because we're early on in this half and they look a completely different team. It's been all them and Ampadu has to send the ball into Row Z to stop a chance, and is that Fabregas trying to tackle... 9:04PM Change for Chelsea Pedro is replaced by Callum Hudson-Odoi 8:51PM HALF-TIME. (4-0) Conte might have a happier press conference today. Chelsea have been calm, patient and composed in a game they were heavy favourites to win. Hull have been disappointing because regardless of your injury woes, you have to do the simple stuff. And they don't seem able to do them well, or at all. 8:48PM 45 + 2 mins Hull have shown more attacking prowess and had more touches in the last three minutes than the previous 44. That says it all... 8:47PM 45 mins (4-0) Fabregas has been reminding everyone in Stamford Bridge of his talents tonight. His passing has been immaculate in this first half. Cabellero just touched the ball! This is not a drill. It was a weak header but at least it gave him something to do. Two minutes of added time. Basically 30 seconds for each goal. 8:44PM Goal! Girouuuuuuuddddddddddd And there it is, his first goal for his new club. The ball bounces around the box and falls to Emerson who crosses at the second attempt, with the ball falling at the feet of the Frenchman. Giroud kisses the debutants head to show his appreciation. 8:42PM 42 mins (3-0) Even when Hull do venture into Chelsea's half, you don't sense that anything will happen unless it's a Chelsea mistake. 8:39PM 38 mins (3-0) Chelsea just playing the ball around the Hull players at the moment as they surely feel confident with their three goal lead. Marshall collects a speculative effort and sends it forward and Evandro attempts something, I'm not sure what as it's nowhere near the goal or one of his teammates. He could've just tried to hold it up... 8:35PM Goal! Willian The Brazilian gets his brace and it is far too simple. Willian plays a back heel into the middle of the park, just outside the box and the visitors should clear it but Giroud is stronger than Dawson and keeps possession to play in his advancing teammate, who makes it 3-0. 8:32PM 31 mins (2-0) The visitors seriously need to get some composure if they are to keep the score at 2-0 until half-time, because at the moment Chelsea are the team that are the Tigers. And Hull are their prey... 8:29PM Goal! Pedro It was coming. Giroud plays in Fabregas and he sends one of those perfect balls up for Pedro. The Spainard brings it down and sends it past Marshall to double their lead. 8:28PM 26 mins (1-0) Emerson shows that he has the ability to start the attack as his run down the left draws a foul from Meyler. It's just outside the box on the near side but the ref blows for a foul to give Hull a goal-kick. It looks like there was dome pushing from Rudiger. A little error from the youngster Ampadu who takes a little too long in his own box but Cabellero is there to clear the danger. He then atones for his mistake by sending a long ball over the top to Willian, who sets up Pedro but Marshall is there to make the easy save. 8:24PM 22 mins (1-0) All Hull's attacks have comes through Irvine, but every time he charges through midfield and then tries to play in Dicko; a blue shirt is there. Michael Dawson - who should know better - concedes a silly free-kick to help Chelsea on their way. Willian is running riot through the Tigers defense this evening. And although Hull keep managing to clear the ball, it's only as far as another Chelsea player. 8:20PM 19 mins The Blues play is very calm at the moment. They obviously have the majority of possession but they aren't rushing their play. Another chance for Giroud as Drinkwater sends a curving ball into the box after collecting Willian's pass but the Frenchman can't get there quick enough. 8:17PM At least they're honest 13 | It should be two. Giroud finds himself free in the area after a chip from Pedro but the striker pokes the ball over Marshall's crossbar #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 8:16PM 14 mins A little better. They get a corner and send it to the edge of the box before Stewart tees it up for Irvine but he heads it over. Zappacosta passes to Pedro on the edge of the box and he chips it over the Hull defence for Giroud but the striker can't keep it down, despite it being on his left foot. Ooh! A very lucky moment for the visitors. Fabregas sends a lovely ball through several Hull players for Pedro, but Marshall manages to get something on it and it's out for a corner. 8:12PM 11 mins Another Chelsea break and this time Willian sends a ball across the box for Giroud but the Frenchman wasn't alert to the opportunity. Hull get a free kick in the middle of the park and it's too long for anyone. It's a wasteful moment from the visitors who will need to use their deadball situations better if they are to test the current Premier League champions. 8:09PM 8 mins The visitors are playing in a 5-4-1 but they're pretty much stuck in their own half. Stewart sends a long ball forward for Dicko, but again, it's no problem for the Chelsea defense. Fabregas takes a short corner and plays a 1-2 with Willian before taking the shot, but Marshall saves down low at his near post. 8:06PM 5 mins Such a silly mistake by Stewart to lose the ball where he did, he should've known the Blues players were surrounding him. But confident from Willian to swing it round Marshall. Hull have a little bit of possession but with a lone striker when it does get near the Chelsea box, it's easily cleared by Rudiger. 8:03PM Goal! Chelsea are already attacking. Hull loss possession about 30 yards out and Willian gets on the ball, twisting around the Tigers defence and curling it in at the far post. 8:02PM Kick-off! The home team get us started and Hull are set up like a team who know they will be on the back foot for most of the game. 7:59PM Tunnel time The teams are heading out onto the pitch, at a packed Stamford Bridge. Who will be one step nearer to that iconic silverware when the final whistle blows? The FA Cup Credit: Getty Images 7:57PM Pitchman predictions Is this sign showing us how the goals will be scored tonight? It wouldn't be a surprise with Giroud on the pitch A sign on the pitch pre-match Credit: Getty Images 7:53PM What it's all about Regardless of the result, I get the sense that these fans will still enjoy their night. Always good to see decent away support - especially when it's a longer journey. At an awkward time. On an awkward day... �� | The black and amber faithful have arrived at Stamford Bridge! #CHEHUL#EmiratesFACuppic.twitter.com/WzSVkPnmaZ— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 7:51PM Not long to go... A reminder of both teams CHELSEA Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro. Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata HULL Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:36PM It's baaaack! It's another test for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) tonight. The last time it made an appearance at Stamford Bridge it worked in the Blues favour. The officials decided not to overturn Willian's yellow card for simulation. Will it be decisive tonight? 7:31PM The visitors Hull have made seven changes ahead of their trip to the current Premier League champions, which isn't a huge surprise given their precarious league position. They are currently 21st in the Championship - one point above the relegation zone - after being relegated from the top flight last season. You'd suspect that Nigel Adkins priorities will be preventing a second consecutive relegation. Prior to the game, he said: "It's a challenging scenario, and like I've said we will need a little bit of cup magic to help us." 7:25PM I'm not a fan Half and half scarfs Credit: Getty 7:23PM A Chelsea debut Emerson Palmieri will make his debut for the Blues tonight. The Brazilian-born Italian defender will wear the number 33 shirt and will just go by his first name. He tends to play on the left and he gets his first start after joining the club from Roma in the summer. The fee was rumoured to be £17.72m with £8m in add-ons. He did play for the Brazilian under-17s but was granted permission to switch to Italy last year. 7:15PM Let's start with some team news This is how the home team will line up this evening... Chelsea: Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata And the injury-ravaged visitors will start the game like this... Hull: Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:12PM Hello Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the FA Cup fifth round tie between Chelsea and Hull City. 7:11PM Preview Chelsea go into their game against Hull City on the back of 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. Antonio Conte will be buoyed by the fact that new signing Olivier Giroud looks to have settled in well, with the Frenchman creating the opening goal for start man Eden Hazard. They are bidding to win the competition for the eighth time after last lifting the trophy in 2012 when they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final at Wembley stadium. Hull boss Nigel Adkins is heading to Chelsea with a mindset of "all to gain, nothing to lose" given his side's injury, ineligibility and suspension worries. Few expect the struggling Championship side to defeat the reigning Premier League champions in Friday's FA Cup fifth-round encounter at Stamford Bridge. Adkins is having to deal with a spate of absentees and a defensive shortfall, with the on-loan Chelsea trio of Michael Hector, Ola Aina and Fikayo Tomori unable to face their parent club. Fellow defenders Stephen Kingsley, Ondrej Mazuch and Moses Odubajo are injured, while Angus MacDonald could be the only senior first-team centre-back available unless Michael Dawson can prove his fitness. "They're forced changes," Adkins said. "It's not as if we want to make all these changes. "You get to the fifth round of the FA Cup and you start dreaming about things, don't you? "I would love to be able to say this is our strongest team to go out there and play, everybody in their best positions, in the formation that's going to suit everybody to give an opportunity to win the game. "On Friday we will be playing players out of position. "I haven't got a problem with that, it's the way it is. We've just got to deal with it." Markus Henriksen, James Weir and Seb Larsson - who is suspended - are also unavailable for the trip to Chelsea, while Kamil Grosicki and Abel Hernandez are coming back from injury.

Chelsea 4 Hull City 0: Olivier Giroud off the mark for Blues as striker bags his first goal in FA Cup stroll

It will be Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and others at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday but for the warm-up act it was a struggling Hull City from the Championship fielding a makeshift team in an FA Cup fifth-round tie that was over within half an hour for Antonio Conte’s team. This was not a great night for the Cup, especially when Nigel Adkins made seven changes from his previous Championship team and a side already suffering around 12 injuries and ineligible players were taken apart with four Chelsea goals in the first half. You only need to know that two of Adkins’ regular back four are Chelsea loanees Michael Hector and Ola Aina, both unable to play in this tie, and a third Chelsea man Fiyako Tomori was also absent for the same reason. There was a first Chelsea goal for Olivier Giroud since his arrival from Arsenal last month, and there were moments when the Brazilian Willian gave Hull a reminder of what the quality was like in the Premier League – including a goal within 106 seconds of the kick-off. Willian scored twice before half-time and there was another from Pedro, with Hull looking every inch a team who were trying to get in and out of west London with the minimum of embarrassment. Conte gave a debut to his other January signing, the left-back Emerson Palmieri from Roma, and later he brought on another debutant, Kyle Scott, a 20 year-old from the academy who has largely been making up the numbers in the first-team training sessions. There were two 17 year-olds on the pitch for Chelsea in the second half, with Ethan Ampadu starting the game at the centre of a three-man defence and Callum Hudson-Odoi, the academy’s latest hot prospect, a replacement for Pedro. Nathan Ampadu gives a confident performance in defence Credit: Getty Images Willian’s performance has given Conte reason to consider his line-up for Tuesday’s Champions League round of 16 first leg, with the Chelsea manager admitting. “I'm very happy. Before an important game, against Barcelona, tonight I go to my house with many doubts in my mind, which is the best starting XI to start the game against Barcelona. But it's right to be so. We must take the right time to make the best decision to pick the best XI to start that game.” A very different Hull team had unexpectedly beaten Nottingham Forest at the City Ground the previous Saturday but with a Championship game against Middlesbrough awaiting on Tuesday, Adkins was a manager with a lot of injuries to deal with and priorities elsewhere. He was without his top goalscorer Jarrod Bowen who, Adkins said later, might miss Tuesday’s game with a damaged hamstring. “We came with a game-plan,” Adkins said, and admitted that the plan did not make it to the end of the second minute, although his team managed to get through the second half without conceding. “Everyone knew our situation – and within a couple of minutes it goes out of the window. We gifted them the opportunities to score some goals in the first half. “But, wow, Chelsea have got some good players and counter-attack so quickly. In the second half, fair credit to them [Hull], they gave it a go and we did what we had hoped to do initially.” Willian celebrates his first goal Credit: AFP The 2014 FA Cup finalists are toppling badly, a point outside the Championship relegation zone and suffering all the familiar symptoms of a club in crisis: an owner desperate to sell, a fanbase in rebellion and a squad patched together. They missed a second-half penalty taken by David Meyler who had been one of those Hull players suffering in their attempts to put a challenge in on Willian in the first half. It was a brutal first half for Kevin Stewart, previously of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, who was guilty of losing possession to Giroud twice for the first and third goals, both scored by Willian. The Brazilian is clearly a cut above anyone on the Hull team and he punctuated the first half with a few moments of great quality, a flick with the instep, and two goals dispatched – one with his left foot and one with his right. For his first, Willian hit a brilliant shot past David Marshall after Stewart had turned into trouble in midfield. His second goal, and Chelsea’s third, was hit with his right, shaped inside the post after Stewart had again been dispossessed by Giroud. Willy Caballero saves David Meyler's penalty Credit: Getty Images Between times there was a ball flighted over the top of Hull’s defence by Cesc Fabregas which Pedro took with an immaculate first touch with his right and beat Marshall with his left. The fourth came just before half-time when Meyler had the ball put through his legs by Emerson on the left and Giroud clipped a near-post shot in from the cross for his first Chelsea goal. There was a penalty for Hull in the second half, conceded without complaint by Fabregas who was far too slow getting across to challenge Harry Wilson, on loan at Hull from Liverpool. The 20 year-old landed awkwardly on his shoulder, and eventually had to go off as a consequence, although not before he had seen Meyler’s penalty saved by Willy Caballero, who got the rebound too. Alvaro Morata came off the bench to replace Giroud and it will be interesting to see who Conte starts from the pair in the Champions League tie on Tuesday. The Chelsea manager confirmed that Marcos Alonso will be back for that tie. “I consider Barcelona one of the best teams in the world,” Conte said later. “On one side, you must be a bit sad to play against them. But, on the other hand, you must be excited. You have to try and compete with them at this level. It won't be easy, for sure, but we must have the right confidence and then we'll see what happens.” 9:56PM FULL-TIME! 4-0 And it's all over at Stamford Bridge officially, although it felt over at half-time with the Blues four goals ahead. Chelsea may have been the heavy favourites but they didn't take that for granted and clearly took their opponents as serious as any other. Fabregas was very good, pinging perfect crosses all over the pitch and Willian took his opportunity with Barcelona just a few days away. Nigel Adkins can be impressed with his teams second half performance, and he may leave London with a bit more confidence for the relegation battle they are facing. 9:51PM 90 + 2 mins It's straight up the other end and it's Fraizer Campbell but Caballero makes another easy save. And we're back again but Zappacosta's cross is too close to Marshall. 9:49PM 89 mins (4-0) Everyone thinks the game is pretty much over but not Willian who picks up the ball about 25 yard out and with those tricky feet he sends another curling shot towards goal. But it's off the post. What a shame! The Brazilian would've deserved his hat-trick. 9:47PM Last Hull change Jackson Irvine is replaced by Dan Batty 9:43PM 84 mins (4-0) Another Hull chance. Dawson plays in Toral on the right wing and he weaves his way to the edge of the box before passing to Diomande, but the forward can't get a head to it. Chelsea are pretty much chilling right now. Like a student in the last ten minutes of an exam that they know they've aced. 9:39PM 80 mins (4-0) Meyler is the next Hull player to try his luck but Cabellero is equal to it. You get the sense that Chelsea have no intention of doing anything silly but they also don't want to exert too much energy with Barcelona on the horizon. A lot of short and/or sideways passes, except for Willian who heads for goal every time the ball is at his feet. 9:37PM 77 mins Really good save from Marshall to save from Drinkwater after it's deflected off one of his defenders. Prior to this the Tigers had kept four clean sheets in their last seven games although McGregor got three of those. 9:32PM 73 mins (4-0) Just under 20 minutes left at Stamford Bridge and Conte won't want his team relaxing now. Morata's first real involvement is to win a corner for his team, it's out and the Blues have another. It falls to Cahill and you would expect him to score but he can't sort his feet out in time. 9:32PM Hull change Nouha Dicko is replaced by Frazier Campbell. Yes, THAT Fraizer Campbell. 9:31PM Final Chelsea change Olivier Giroud departs for Alvaro Morata 9:27PM 68 mins Cabellero is screaming at his defenders after he saves from Dicko at his near post, with the shot coming off his knee. Conte won't be happy with the chances that Hull are creating but Ampadu, in particular, is getting the chance to show his ability. Hull waste another moment of possession as Chelsea get the ball from their corner. Willian is on the edge of the box again and he shoots for his hat-trick but it's blocked. And Zappacosta can't take advantage of the rebound. 9:24PM 64 mins (4-0) Neither team has control at the moment, but Hull will be buzzing with their improvement from the opening half. In regards to possession and number of passes, it's very easily balanced. I guess the challenge for the visitors is to at least draw the second-half, preferably with a clean sheet. 9:22PM Chelsea change Cesc Fabregas is replaced by another debutant, Kyle Scott. 9:21PM Some info on Hudson-Odoi If you aren't familiar with his name, you need to pay more attention to non first-team players. Blues fans have been raving about the 17-year-old for a while and calling for him to get some proper league action. He's been at the club since he was eight, he won the January PL2 Player of the Month award, he's a forward and stands at 6ft. 9:19PM A rare sight Is any other club account so factual and blunt? 56 | Irvine collects the ball on the edge of the area and has a go but his shot is too weak and easy for the Chelsea goalkeeper #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 9:15PM 56 mins (4-0) The home side appear to be a bit unnerved by their visitors in this half. Irvine - who has been Hull's best player - is the latest to have a snapshot but it doesn't have enough power and it doesn't have the height to trouble the Blues keeper. 9:15PM Hull change Harry Wilson makes way for Jon Toral 9:14PM Penalty peeve Just to clarify, Cabellero SAVED Meyler's spot-kick. Meyler did not MISS the penalty. It was on target - therefore it cannot be a miss and the keeper prevented it from crossing the line - by saving it. 9:11PM PENALTY! Meyler has to move the ball because it was evading the white penalty spot. Meyler looks confident and it's a decent strike but... SAVED! Big Willy C goes to his right and makes it look so easy. A chance wasted for the Tigers. 9:09PM 48 mins (4-0) Have Hull been replaced during half-time? Do we have a modern day example of Bodysnatchers because we're early on in this half and they look a completely different team. It's been all them and Ampadu has to send the ball into Row Z to stop a chance, and is that Fabregas trying to tackle... 9:04PM Change for Chelsea Pedro is replaced by Callum Hudson-Odoi 8:51PM HALF-TIME. (4-0) Conte might have a happier press conference today. Chelsea have been calm, patient and composed in a game they were heavy favourites to win. Hull have been disappointing because regardless of your injury woes, you have to do the simple stuff. And they don't seem able to do them well, or at all. 8:48PM 45 + 2 mins Hull have shown more attacking prowess and had more touches in the last three minutes than the previous 44. That says it all... 8:47PM 45 mins (4-0) Fabregas has been reminding everyone in Stamford Bridge of his talents tonight. His passing has been immaculate in this first half. Cabellero just touched the ball! This is not a drill. It was a weak header but at least it gave him something to do. Two minutes of added time. Basically 30 seconds for each goal. 8:44PM Goal! Girouuuuuuuddddddddddd And there it is, his first goal for his new club. The ball bounces around the box and falls to Emerson who crosses at the second attempt, with the ball falling at the feet of the Frenchman. Giroud kisses the debutants head to show his appreciation. 8:42PM 42 mins (3-0) Even when Hull do venture into Chelsea's half, you don't sense that anything will happen unless it's a Chelsea mistake. 8:39PM 38 mins (3-0) Chelsea just playing the ball around the Hull players at the moment as they surely feel confident with their three goal lead. Marshall collects a speculative effort and sends it forward and Evandro attempts something, I'm not sure what as it's nowhere near the goal or one of his teammates. He could've just tried to hold it up... 8:35PM Goal! Willian The Brazilian gets his brace and it is far too simple. Willian plays a back heel into the middle of the park, just outside the box and the visitors should clear it but Giroud is stronger than Dawson and keeps possession to play in his advancing teammate, who makes it 3-0. 8:32PM 31 mins (2-0) The visitors seriously need to get some composure if they are to keep the score at 2-0 until half-time, because at the moment Chelsea are the team that are the Tigers. And Hull are their prey... 8:29PM Goal! Pedro It was coming. Giroud plays in Fabregas and he sends one of those perfect balls up for Pedro. The Spainard brings it down and sends it past Marshall to double their lead. 8:28PM 26 mins (1-0) Emerson shows that he has the ability to start the attack as his run down the left draws a foul from Meyler. It's just outside the box on the near side but the ref blows for a foul to give Hull a goal-kick. It looks like there was dome pushing from Rudiger. A little error from the youngster Ampadu who takes a little too long in his own box but Cabellero is there to clear the danger. He then atones for his mistake by sending a long ball over the top to Willian, who sets up Pedro but Marshall is there to make the easy save. 8:24PM 22 mins (1-0) All Hull's attacks have comes through Irvine, but every time he charges through midfield and then tries to play in Dicko; a blue shirt is there. Michael Dawson - who should know better - concedes a silly free-kick to help Chelsea on their way. Willian is running riot through the Tigers defense this evening. And although Hull keep managing to clear the ball, it's only as far as another Chelsea player. 8:20PM 19 mins The Blues play is very calm at the moment. They obviously have the majority of possession but they aren't rushing their play. Another chance for Giroud as Drinkwater sends a curving ball into the box after collecting Willian's pass but the Frenchman can't get there quick enough. 8:17PM At least they're honest 13 | It should be two. Giroud finds himself free in the area after a chip from Pedro but the striker pokes the ball over Marshall's crossbar #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 8:16PM 14 mins A little better. They get a corner and send it to the edge of the box before Stewart tees it up for Irvine but he heads it over. Zappacosta passes to Pedro on the edge of the box and he chips it over the Hull defence for Giroud but the striker can't keep it down, despite it being on his left foot. Ooh! A very lucky moment for the visitors. Fabregas sends a lovely ball through several Hull players for Pedro, but Marshall manages to get something on it and it's out for a corner. 8:12PM 11 mins Another Chelsea break and this time Willian sends a ball across the box for Giroud but the Frenchman wasn't alert to the opportunity. Hull get a free kick in the middle of the park and it's too long for anyone. It's a wasteful moment from the visitors who will need to use their deadball situations better if they are to test the current Premier League champions. 8:09PM 8 mins The visitors are playing in a 5-4-1 but they're pretty much stuck in their own half. Stewart sends a long ball forward for Dicko, but again, it's no problem for the Chelsea defense. Fabregas takes a short corner and plays a 1-2 with Willian before taking the shot, but Marshall saves down low at his near post. 8:06PM 5 mins Such a silly mistake by Stewart to lose the ball where he did, he should've known the Blues players were surrounding him. But confident from Willian to swing it round Marshall. Hull have a little bit of possession but with a lone striker when it does get near the Chelsea box, it's easily cleared by Rudiger. 8:03PM Goal! Chelsea are already attacking. Hull loss possession about 30 yards out and Willian gets on the ball, twisting around the Tigers defence and curling it in at the far post. 8:02PM Kick-off! The home team get us started and Hull are set up like a team who know they will be on the back foot for most of the game. 7:59PM Tunnel time The teams are heading out onto the pitch, at a packed Stamford Bridge. Who will be one step nearer to that iconic silverware when the final whistle blows? The FA Cup Credit: Getty Images 7:57PM Pitchman predictions Is this sign showing us how the goals will be scored tonight? It wouldn't be a surprise with Giroud on the pitch A sign on the pitch pre-match Credit: Getty Images 7:53PM What it's all about Regardless of the result, I get the sense that these fans will still enjoy their night. Always good to see decent away support - especially when it's a longer journey. At an awkward time. On an awkward day... �� | The black and amber faithful have arrived at Stamford Bridge! #CHEHUL#EmiratesFACuppic.twitter.com/WzSVkPnmaZ— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 7:51PM Not long to go... A reminder of both teams CHELSEA Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro. Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata HULL Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:36PM It's baaaack! It's another test for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) tonight. The last time it made an appearance at Stamford Bridge it worked in the Blues favour. The officials decided not to overturn Willian's yellow card for simulation. Will it be decisive tonight? 7:31PM The visitors Hull have made seven changes ahead of their trip to the current Premier League champions, which isn't a huge surprise given their precarious league position. They are currently 21st in the Championship - one point above the relegation zone - after being relegated from the top flight last season. You'd suspect that Nigel Adkins priorities will be preventing a second consecutive relegation. Prior to the game, he said: "It's a challenging scenario, and like I've said we will need a little bit of cup magic to help us." 7:25PM I'm not a fan Half and half scarfs Credit: Getty 7:23PM A Chelsea debut Emerson Palmieri will make his debut for the Blues tonight. The Brazilian-born Italian defender will wear the number 33 shirt and will just go by his first name. He tends to play on the left and he gets his first start after joining the club from Roma in the summer. The fee was rumoured to be £17.72m with £8m in add-ons. He did play for the Brazilian under-17s but was granted permission to switch to Italy last year. 7:15PM Let's start with some team news This is how the home team will line up this evening... Chelsea: Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata And the injury-ravaged visitors will start the game like this... Hull: Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:12PM Hello Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the FA Cup fifth round tie between Chelsea and Hull City. 7:11PM Preview Chelsea go into their game against Hull City on the back of 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. Antonio Conte will be buoyed by the fact that new signing Olivier Giroud looks to have settled in well, with the Frenchman creating the opening goal for start man Eden Hazard. They are bidding to win the competition for the eighth time after last lifting the trophy in 2012 when they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final at Wembley stadium. Hull boss Nigel Adkins is heading to Chelsea with a mindset of "all to gain, nothing to lose" given his side's injury, ineligibility and suspension worries. Few expect the struggling Championship side to defeat the reigning Premier League champions in Friday's FA Cup fifth-round encounter at Stamford Bridge. Adkins is having to deal with a spate of absentees and a defensive shortfall, with the on-loan Chelsea trio of Michael Hector, Ola Aina and Fikayo Tomori unable to face their parent club. Fellow defenders Stephen Kingsley, Ondrej Mazuch and Moses Odubajo are injured, while Angus MacDonald could be the only senior first-team centre-back available unless Michael Dawson can prove his fitness. "They're forced changes," Adkins said. "It's not as if we want to make all these changes. "You get to the fifth round of the FA Cup and you start dreaming about things, don't you? "I would love to be able to say this is our strongest team to go out there and play, everybody in their best positions, in the formation that's going to suit everybody to give an opportunity to win the game. "On Friday we will be playing players out of position. "I haven't got a problem with that, it's the way it is. We've just got to deal with it." Markus Henriksen, James Weir and Seb Larsson - who is suspended - are also unavailable for the trip to Chelsea, while Kamil Grosicki and Abel Hernandez are coming back from injury.

Chelsea 4 Hull City 0: Olivier Giroud off the mark for Blues as striker bags his first goal in FA Cup stroll

It will be Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and others at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday but for the warm-up act it was a struggling Hull City from the Championship fielding a makeshift team in an FA Cup fifth-round tie that was over within half an hour for Antonio Conte’s team. This was not a great night for the Cup, especially when Nigel Adkins made seven changes from his previous Championship team and a side already suffering around 12 injuries and ineligible players were taken apart with four Chelsea goals in the first half. You only need to know that two of Adkins’ regular back four are Chelsea loanees Michael Hector and Ola Aina, both unable to play in this tie, and a third Chelsea man Fiyako Tomori was also absent for the same reason. There was a first Chelsea goal for Olivier Giroud since his arrival from Arsenal last month, and there were moments when the Brazilian Willian gave Hull a reminder of what the quality was like in the Premier League – including a goal within 106 seconds of the kick-off. Willian scored twice before half-time and there was another from Pedro, with Hull looking every inch a team who were trying to get in and out of west London with the minimum of embarrassment. Conte gave a debut to his other January signing, the left-back Emerson Palmieri from Roma, and later he brought on another debutant, Kyle Scott, a 20 year-old from the academy who has largely been making up the numbers in the first-team training sessions. There were two 17 year-olds on the pitch for Chelsea in the second half, with Ethan Ampadu starting the game at the centre of a three-man defence and Callum Hudson-Odoi, the academy’s latest hot prospect, a replacement for Pedro. Nathan Ampadu gives a confident performance in defence Credit: Getty Images Willian’s performance has given Conte reason to consider his line-up for Tuesday’s Champions League round of 16 first leg, with the Chelsea manager admitting. “I'm very happy. Before an important game, against Barcelona, tonight I go to my house with many doubts in my mind, which is the best starting XI to start the game against Barcelona. But it's right to be so. We must take the right time to make the best decision to pick the best XI to start that game.” A very different Hull team had unexpectedly beaten Nottingham Forest at the City Ground the previous Saturday but with a Championship game against Middlesbrough awaiting on Tuesday, Adkins was a manager with a lot of injuries to deal with and priorities elsewhere. He was without his top goalscorer Jarrod Bowen who, Adkins said later, might miss Tuesday’s game with a damaged hamstring. “We came with a game-plan,” Adkins said, and admitted that the plan did not make it to the end of the second minute, although his team managed to get through the second half without conceding. “Everyone knew our situation – and within a couple of minutes it goes out of the window. We gifted them the opportunities to score some goals in the first half. “But, wow, Chelsea have got some good players and counter-attack so quickly. In the second half, fair credit to them [Hull], they gave it a go and we did what we had hoped to do initially.” Willian celebrates his first goal Credit: AFP The 2014 FA Cup finalists are toppling badly, a point outside the Championship relegation zone and suffering all the familiar symptoms of a club in crisis: an owner desperate to sell, a fanbase in rebellion and a squad patched together. They missed a second-half penalty taken by David Meyler who had been one of those Hull players suffering in their attempts to put a challenge in on Willian in the first half. It was a brutal first half for Kevin Stewart, previously of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, who was guilty of losing possession to Giroud twice for the first and third goals, both scored by Willian. The Brazilian is clearly a cut above anyone on the Hull team and he punctuated the first half with a few moments of great quality, a flick with the instep, and two goals dispatched – one with his left foot and one with his right. For his first, Willian hit a brilliant shot past David Marshall after Stewart had turned into trouble in midfield. His second goal, and Chelsea’s third, was hit with his right, shaped inside the post after Stewart had again been dispossessed by Giroud. Willy Caballero saves David Meyler's penalty Credit: Getty Images Between times there was a ball flighted over the top of Hull’s defence by Cesc Fabregas which Pedro took with an immaculate first touch with his right and beat Marshall with his left. The fourth came just before half-time when Meyler had the ball put through his legs by Emerson on the left and Giroud clipped a near-post shot in from the cross for his first Chelsea goal. There was a penalty for Hull in the second half, conceded without complaint by Fabregas who was far too slow getting across to challenge Harry Wilson, on loan at Hull from Liverpool. The 20 year-old landed awkwardly on his shoulder, and eventually had to go off as a consequence, although not before he had seen Meyler’s penalty saved by Willy Caballero, who got the rebound too. Alvaro Morata came off the bench to replace Giroud and it will be interesting to see who Conte starts from the pair in the Champions League tie on Tuesday. The Chelsea manager confirmed that Marcos Alonso will be back for that tie. “I consider Barcelona one of the best teams in the world,” Conte said later. “On one side, you must be a bit sad to play against them. But, on the other hand, you must be excited. You have to try and compete with them at this level. It won't be easy, for sure, but we must have the right confidence and then we'll see what happens.” 9:56PM FULL-TIME! 4-0 And it's all over at Stamford Bridge officially, although it felt over at half-time with the Blues four goals ahead. Chelsea may have been the heavy favourites but they didn't take that for granted and clearly took their opponents as serious as any other. Fabregas was very good, pinging perfect crosses all over the pitch and Willian took his opportunity with Barcelona just a few days away. Nigel Adkins can be impressed with his teams second half performance, and he may leave London with a bit more confidence for the relegation battle they are facing. 9:51PM 90 + 2 mins It's straight up the other end and it's Fraizer Campbell but Caballero makes another easy save. And we're back again but Zappacosta's cross is too close to Marshall. 9:49PM 89 mins (4-0) Everyone thinks the game is pretty much over but not Willian who picks up the ball about 25 yard out and with those tricky feet he sends another curling shot towards goal. But it's off the post. What a shame! The Brazilian would've deserved his hat-trick. 9:47PM Last Hull change Jackson Irvine is replaced by Dan Batty 9:43PM 84 mins (4-0) Another Hull chance. Dawson plays in Toral on the right wing and he weaves his way to the edge of the box before passing to Diomande, but the forward can't get a head to it. Chelsea are pretty much chilling right now. Like a student in the last ten minutes of an exam that they know they've aced. 9:39PM 80 mins (4-0) Meyler is the next Hull player to try his luck but Cabellero is equal to it. You get the sense that Chelsea have no intention of doing anything silly but they also don't want to exert too much energy with Barcelona on the horizon. A lot of short and/or sideways passes, except for Willian who heads for goal every time the ball is at his feet. 9:37PM 77 mins Really good save from Marshall to save from Drinkwater after it's deflected off one of his defenders. Prior to this the Tigers had kept four clean sheets in their last seven games although McGregor got three of those. 9:32PM 73 mins (4-0) Just under 20 minutes left at Stamford Bridge and Conte won't want his team relaxing now. Morata's first real involvement is to win a corner for his team, it's out and the Blues have another. It falls to Cahill and you would expect him to score but he can't sort his feet out in time. 9:32PM Hull change Nouha Dicko is replaced by Frazier Campbell. Yes, THAT Fraizer Campbell. 9:31PM Final Chelsea change Olivier Giroud departs for Alvaro Morata 9:27PM 68 mins Cabellero is screaming at his defenders after he saves from Dicko at his near post, with the shot coming off his knee. Conte won't be happy with the chances that Hull are creating but Ampadu, in particular, is getting the chance to show his ability. Hull waste another moment of possession as Chelsea get the ball from their corner. Willian is on the edge of the box again and he shoots for his hat-trick but it's blocked. And Zappacosta can't take advantage of the rebound. 9:24PM 64 mins (4-0) Neither team has control at the moment, but Hull will be buzzing with their improvement from the opening half. In regards to possession and number of passes, it's very easily balanced. I guess the challenge for the visitors is to at least draw the second-half, preferably with a clean sheet. 9:22PM Chelsea change Cesc Fabregas is replaced by another debutant, Kyle Scott. 9:21PM Some info on Hudson-Odoi If you aren't familiar with his name, you need to pay more attention to non first-team players. Blues fans have been raving about the 17-year-old for a while and calling for him to get some proper league action. He's been at the club since he was eight, he won the January PL2 Player of the Month award, he's a forward and stands at 6ft. 9:19PM A rare sight Is any other club account so factual and blunt? 56 | Irvine collects the ball on the edge of the area and has a go but his shot is too weak and easy for the Chelsea goalkeeper #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 9:15PM 56 mins (4-0) The home side appear to be a bit unnerved by their visitors in this half. Irvine - who has been Hull's best player - is the latest to have a snapshot but it doesn't have enough power and it doesn't have the height to trouble the Blues keeper. 9:15PM Hull change Harry Wilson makes way for Jon Toral 9:14PM Penalty peeve Just to clarify, Cabellero SAVED Meyler's spot-kick. Meyler did not MISS the penalty. It was on target - therefore it cannot be a miss and the keeper prevented it from crossing the line - by saving it. 9:11PM PENALTY! Meyler has to move the ball because it was evading the white penalty spot. Meyler looks confident and it's a decent strike but... SAVED! Big Willy C goes to his right and makes it look so easy. A chance wasted for the Tigers. 9:09PM 48 mins (4-0) Have Hull been replaced during half-time? Do we have a modern day example of Bodysnatchers because we're early on in this half and they look a completely different team. It's been all them and Ampadu has to send the ball into Row Z to stop a chance, and is that Fabregas trying to tackle... 9:04PM Change for Chelsea Pedro is replaced by Callum Hudson-Odoi 8:51PM HALF-TIME. (4-0) Conte might have a happier press conference today. Chelsea have been calm, patient and composed in a game they were heavy favourites to win. Hull have been disappointing because regardless of your injury woes, you have to do the simple stuff. And they don't seem able to do them well, or at all. 8:48PM 45 + 2 mins Hull have shown more attacking prowess and had more touches in the last three minutes than the previous 44. That says it all... 8:47PM 45 mins (4-0) Fabregas has been reminding everyone in Stamford Bridge of his talents tonight. His passing has been immaculate in this first half. Cabellero just touched the ball! This is not a drill. It was a weak header but at least it gave him something to do. Two minutes of added time. Basically 30 seconds for each goal. 8:44PM Goal! Girouuuuuuuddddddddddd And there it is, his first goal for his new club. The ball bounces around the box and falls to Emerson who crosses at the second attempt, with the ball falling at the feet of the Frenchman. Giroud kisses the debutants head to show his appreciation. 8:42PM 42 mins (3-0) Even when Hull do venture into Chelsea's half, you don't sense that anything will happen unless it's a Chelsea mistake. 8:39PM 38 mins (3-0) Chelsea just playing the ball around the Hull players at the moment as they surely feel confident with their three goal lead. Marshall collects a speculative effort and sends it forward and Evandro attempts something, I'm not sure what as it's nowhere near the goal or one of his teammates. He could've just tried to hold it up... 8:35PM Goal! Willian The Brazilian gets his brace and it is far too simple. Willian plays a back heel into the middle of the park, just outside the box and the visitors should clear it but Giroud is stronger than Dawson and keeps possession to play in his advancing teammate, who makes it 3-0. 8:32PM 31 mins (2-0) The visitors seriously need to get some composure if they are to keep the score at 2-0 until half-time, because at the moment Chelsea are the team that are the Tigers. And Hull are their prey... 8:29PM Goal! Pedro It was coming. Giroud plays in Fabregas and he sends one of those perfect balls up for Pedro. The Spainard brings it down and sends it past Marshall to double their lead. 8:28PM 26 mins (1-0) Emerson shows that he has the ability to start the attack as his run down the left draws a foul from Meyler. It's just outside the box on the near side but the ref blows for a foul to give Hull a goal-kick. It looks like there was dome pushing from Rudiger. A little error from the youngster Ampadu who takes a little too long in his own box but Cabellero is there to clear the danger. He then atones for his mistake by sending a long ball over the top to Willian, who sets up Pedro but Marshall is there to make the easy save. 8:24PM 22 mins (1-0) All Hull's attacks have comes through Irvine, but every time he charges through midfield and then tries to play in Dicko; a blue shirt is there. Michael Dawson - who should know better - concedes a silly free-kick to help Chelsea on their way. Willian is running riot through the Tigers defense this evening. And although Hull keep managing to clear the ball, it's only as far as another Chelsea player. 8:20PM 19 mins The Blues play is very calm at the moment. They obviously have the majority of possession but they aren't rushing their play. Another chance for Giroud as Drinkwater sends a curving ball into the box after collecting Willian's pass but the Frenchman can't get there quick enough. 8:17PM At least they're honest 13 | It should be two. Giroud finds himself free in the area after a chip from Pedro but the striker pokes the ball over Marshall's crossbar #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 8:16PM 14 mins A little better. They get a corner and send it to the edge of the box before Stewart tees it up for Irvine but he heads it over. Zappacosta passes to Pedro on the edge of the box and he chips it over the Hull defence for Giroud but the striker can't keep it down, despite it being on his left foot. Ooh! A very lucky moment for the visitors. Fabregas sends a lovely ball through several Hull players for Pedro, but Marshall manages to get something on it and it's out for a corner. 8:12PM 11 mins Another Chelsea break and this time Willian sends a ball across the box for Giroud but the Frenchman wasn't alert to the opportunity. Hull get a free kick in the middle of the park and it's too long for anyone. It's a wasteful moment from the visitors who will need to use their deadball situations better if they are to test the current Premier League champions. 8:09PM 8 mins The visitors are playing in a 5-4-1 but they're pretty much stuck in their own half. Stewart sends a long ball forward for Dicko, but again, it's no problem for the Chelsea defense. Fabregas takes a short corner and plays a 1-2 with Willian before taking the shot, but Marshall saves down low at his near post. 8:06PM 5 mins Such a silly mistake by Stewart to lose the ball where he did, he should've known the Blues players were surrounding him. But confident from Willian to swing it round Marshall. Hull have a little bit of possession but with a lone striker when it does get near the Chelsea box, it's easily cleared by Rudiger. 8:03PM Goal! Chelsea are already attacking. Hull loss possession about 30 yards out and Willian gets on the ball, twisting around the Tigers defence and curling it in at the far post. 8:02PM Kick-off! The home team get us started and Hull are set up like a team who know they will be on the back foot for most of the game. 7:59PM Tunnel time The teams are heading out onto the pitch, at a packed Stamford Bridge. Who will be one step nearer to that iconic silverware when the final whistle blows? The FA Cup Credit: Getty Images 7:57PM Pitchman predictions Is this sign showing us how the goals will be scored tonight? It wouldn't be a surprise with Giroud on the pitch A sign on the pitch pre-match Credit: Getty Images 7:53PM What it's all about Regardless of the result, I get the sense that these fans will still enjoy their night. Always good to see decent away support - especially when it's a longer journey. At an awkward time. On an awkward day... �� | The black and amber faithful have arrived at Stamford Bridge! #CHEHUL#EmiratesFACuppic.twitter.com/WzSVkPnmaZ— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 7:51PM Not long to go... A reminder of both teams CHELSEA Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro. Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata HULL Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:36PM It's baaaack! It's another test for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) tonight. The last time it made an appearance at Stamford Bridge it worked in the Blues favour. The officials decided not to overturn Willian's yellow card for simulation. Will it be decisive tonight? 7:31PM The visitors Hull have made seven changes ahead of their trip to the current Premier League champions, which isn't a huge surprise given their precarious league position. They are currently 21st in the Championship - one point above the relegation zone - after being relegated from the top flight last season. You'd suspect that Nigel Adkins priorities will be preventing a second consecutive relegation. Prior to the game, he said: "It's a challenging scenario, and like I've said we will need a little bit of cup magic to help us." 7:25PM I'm not a fan Half and half scarfs Credit: Getty 7:23PM A Chelsea debut Emerson Palmieri will make his debut for the Blues tonight. The Brazilian-born Italian defender will wear the number 33 shirt and will just go by his first name. He tends to play on the left and he gets his first start after joining the club from Roma in the summer. The fee was rumoured to be £17.72m with £8m in add-ons. He did play for the Brazilian under-17s but was granted permission to switch to Italy last year. 7:15PM Let's start with some team news This is how the home team will line up this evening... Chelsea: Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata And the injury-ravaged visitors will start the game like this... Hull: Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:12PM Hello Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the FA Cup fifth round tie between Chelsea and Hull City. 7:11PM Preview Chelsea go into their game against Hull City on the back of 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. Antonio Conte will be buoyed by the fact that new signing Olivier Giroud looks to have settled in well, with the Frenchman creating the opening goal for start man Eden Hazard. They are bidding to win the competition for the eighth time after last lifting the trophy in 2012 when they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final at Wembley stadium. Hull boss Nigel Adkins is heading to Chelsea with a mindset of "all to gain, nothing to lose" given his side's injury, ineligibility and suspension worries. Few expect the struggling Championship side to defeat the reigning Premier League champions in Friday's FA Cup fifth-round encounter at Stamford Bridge. Adkins is having to deal with a spate of absentees and a defensive shortfall, with the on-loan Chelsea trio of Michael Hector, Ola Aina and Fikayo Tomori unable to face their parent club. Fellow defenders Stephen Kingsley, Ondrej Mazuch and Moses Odubajo are injured, while Angus MacDonald could be the only senior first-team centre-back available unless Michael Dawson can prove his fitness. "They're forced changes," Adkins said. "It's not as if we want to make all these changes. "You get to the fifth round of the FA Cup and you start dreaming about things, don't you? "I would love to be able to say this is our strongest team to go out there and play, everybody in their best positions, in the formation that's going to suit everybody to give an opportunity to win the game. "On Friday we will be playing players out of position. "I haven't got a problem with that, it's the way it is. We've just got to deal with it." Markus Henriksen, James Weir and Seb Larsson - who is suspended - are also unavailable for the trip to Chelsea, while Kamil Grosicki and Abel Hernandez are coming back from injury.

Chelsea 4 Hull City 0: Olivier Giroud off the mark for Blues as striker bags his first goal in FA Cup stroll

It will be Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and others at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday but for the warm-up act it was a struggling Hull City from the Championship fielding a makeshift team in an FA Cup fifth-round tie that was over within half an hour for Antonio Conte’s team. This was not a great night for the Cup, especially when Nigel Adkins made seven changes from his previous Championship team and a side already suffering around 12 injuries and ineligible players were taken apart with four Chelsea goals in the first half. You only need to know that two of Adkins’ regular back four are Chelsea loanees Michael Hector and Ola Aina, both unable to play in this tie, and a third Chelsea man Fiyako Tomori was also absent for the same reason. There was a first Chelsea goal for Olivier Giroud since his arrival from Arsenal last month, and there were moments when the Brazilian Willian gave Hull a reminder of what the quality was like in the Premier League – including a goal within 106 seconds of the kick-off. Willian scored twice before half-time and there was another from Pedro, with Hull looking every inch a team who were trying to get in and out of west London with the minimum of embarrassment. Conte gave a debut to his other January signing, the left-back Emerson Palmieri from Roma, and later he brought on another debutant, Kyle Scott, a 20 year-old from the academy who has largely been making up the numbers in the first-team training sessions. There were two 17 year-olds on the pitch for Chelsea in the second half, with Ethan Ampadu starting the game at the centre of a three-man defence and Callum Hudson-Odoi, the academy’s latest hot prospect, a replacement for Pedro. Nathan Ampadu gives a confident performance in defence Credit: Getty Images Willian’s performance has given Conte reason to consider his line-up for Tuesday’s Champions League round of 16 first leg, with the Chelsea manager admitting. “I'm very happy. Before an important game, against Barcelona, tonight I go to my house with many doubts in my mind, which is the best starting XI to start the game against Barcelona. But it's right to be so. We must take the right time to make the best decision to pick the best XI to start that game.” A very different Hull team had unexpectedly beaten Nottingham Forest at the City Ground the previous Saturday but with a Championship game against Middlesbrough awaiting on Tuesday, Adkins was a manager with a lot of injuries to deal with and priorities elsewhere. He was without his top goalscorer Jarrod Bowen who, Adkins said later, might miss Tuesday’s game with a damaged hamstring. “We came with a game-plan,” Adkins said, and admitted that the plan did not make it to the end of the second minute, although his team managed to get through the second half without conceding. “Everyone knew our situation – and within a couple of minutes it goes out of the window. We gifted them the opportunities to score some goals in the first half. “But, wow, Chelsea have got some good players and counter-attack so quickly. In the second half, fair credit to them [Hull], they gave it a go and we did what we had hoped to do initially.” Willian celebrates his first goal Credit: AFP The 2014 FA Cup finalists are toppling badly, a point outside the Championship relegation zone and suffering all the familiar symptoms of a club in crisis: an owner desperate to sell, a fanbase in rebellion and a squad patched together. They missed a second-half penalty taken by David Meyler who had been one of those Hull players suffering in their attempts to put a challenge in on Willian in the first half. It was a brutal first half for Kevin Stewart, previously of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, who was guilty of losing possession to Giroud twice for the first and third goals, both scored by Willian. The Brazilian is clearly a cut above anyone on the Hull team and he punctuated the first half with a few moments of great quality, a flick with the instep, and two goals dispatched – one with his left foot and one with his right. For his first, Willian hit a brilliant shot past David Marshall after Stewart had turned into trouble in midfield. His second goal, and Chelsea’s third, was hit with his right, shaped inside the post after Stewart had again been dispossessed by Giroud. Willy Caballero saves David Meyler's penalty Credit: Getty Images Between times there was a ball flighted over the top of Hull’s defence by Cesc Fabregas which Pedro took with an immaculate first touch with his right and beat Marshall with his left. The fourth came just before half-time when Meyler had the ball put through his legs by Emerson on the left and Giroud clipped a near-post shot in from the cross for his first Chelsea goal. There was a penalty for Hull in the second half, conceded without complaint by Fabregas who was far too slow getting across to challenge Harry Wilson, on loan at Hull from Liverpool. The 20 year-old landed awkwardly on his shoulder, and eventually had to go off as a consequence, although not before he had seen Meyler’s penalty saved by Willy Caballero, who got the rebound too. Alvaro Morata came off the bench to replace Giroud and it will be interesting to see who Conte starts from the pair in the Champions League tie on Tuesday. The Chelsea manager confirmed that Marcos Alonso will be back for that tie. “I consider Barcelona one of the best teams in the world,” Conte said later. “On one side, you must be a bit sad to play against them. But, on the other hand, you must be excited. You have to try and compete with them at this level. It won't be easy, for sure, but we must have the right confidence and then we'll see what happens.” 9:56PM FULL-TIME! 4-0 And it's all over at Stamford Bridge officially, although it felt over at half-time with the Blues four goals ahead. Chelsea may have been the heavy favourites but they didn't take that for granted and clearly took their opponents as serious as any other. Fabregas was very good, pinging perfect crosses all over the pitch and Willian took his opportunity with Barcelona just a few days away. Nigel Adkins can be impressed with his teams second half performance, and he may leave London with a bit more confidence for the relegation battle they are facing. 9:51PM 90 + 2 mins It's straight up the other end and it's Fraizer Campbell but Caballero makes another easy save. And we're back again but Zappacosta's cross is too close to Marshall. 9:49PM 89 mins (4-0) Everyone thinks the game is pretty much over but not Willian who picks up the ball about 25 yard out and with those tricky feet he sends another curling shot towards goal. But it's off the post. What a shame! The Brazilian would've deserved his hat-trick. 9:47PM Last Hull change Jackson Irvine is replaced by Dan Batty 9:43PM 84 mins (4-0) Another Hull chance. Dawson plays in Toral on the right wing and he weaves his way to the edge of the box before passing to Diomande, but the forward can't get a head to it. Chelsea are pretty much chilling right now. Like a student in the last ten minutes of an exam that they know they've aced. 9:39PM 80 mins (4-0) Meyler is the next Hull player to try his luck but Cabellero is equal to it. You get the sense that Chelsea have no intention of doing anything silly but they also don't want to exert too much energy with Barcelona on the horizon. A lot of short and/or sideways passes, except for Willian who heads for goal every time the ball is at his feet. 9:37PM 77 mins Really good save from Marshall to save from Drinkwater after it's deflected off one of his defenders. Prior to this the Tigers had kept four clean sheets in their last seven games although McGregor got three of those. 9:32PM 73 mins (4-0) Just under 20 minutes left at Stamford Bridge and Conte won't want his team relaxing now. Morata's first real involvement is to win a corner for his team, it's out and the Blues have another. It falls to Cahill and you would expect him to score but he can't sort his feet out in time. 9:32PM Hull change Nouha Dicko is replaced by Frazier Campbell. Yes, THAT Fraizer Campbell. 9:31PM Final Chelsea change Olivier Giroud departs for Alvaro Morata 9:27PM 68 mins Cabellero is screaming at his defenders after he saves from Dicko at his near post, with the shot coming off his knee. Conte won't be happy with the chances that Hull are creating but Ampadu, in particular, is getting the chance to show his ability. Hull waste another moment of possession as Chelsea get the ball from their corner. Willian is on the edge of the box again and he shoots for his hat-trick but it's blocked. And Zappacosta can't take advantage of the rebound. 9:24PM 64 mins (4-0) Neither team has control at the moment, but Hull will be buzzing with their improvement from the opening half. In regards to possession and number of passes, it's very easily balanced. I guess the challenge for the visitors is to at least draw the second-half, preferably with a clean sheet. 9:22PM Chelsea change Cesc Fabregas is replaced by another debutant, Kyle Scott. 9:21PM Some info on Hudson-Odoi If you aren't familiar with his name, you need to pay more attention to non first-team players. Blues fans have been raving about the 17-year-old for a while and calling for him to get some proper league action. He's been at the club since he was eight, he won the January PL2 Player of the Month award, he's a forward and stands at 6ft. 9:19PM A rare sight Is any other club account so factual and blunt? 56 | Irvine collects the ball on the edge of the area and has a go but his shot is too weak and easy for the Chelsea goalkeeper #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 9:15PM 56 mins (4-0) The home side appear to be a bit unnerved by their visitors in this half. Irvine - who has been Hull's best player - is the latest to have a snapshot but it doesn't have enough power and it doesn't have the height to trouble the Blues keeper. 9:15PM Hull change Harry Wilson makes way for Jon Toral 9:14PM Penalty peeve Just to clarify, Cabellero SAVED Meyler's spot-kick. Meyler did not MISS the penalty. It was on target - therefore it cannot be a miss and the keeper prevented it from crossing the line - by saving it. 9:11PM PENALTY! Meyler has to move the ball because it was evading the white penalty spot. Meyler looks confident and it's a decent strike but... SAVED! Big Willy C goes to his right and makes it look so easy. A chance wasted for the Tigers. 9:09PM 48 mins (4-0) Have Hull been replaced during half-time? Do we have a modern day example of Bodysnatchers because we're early on in this half and they look a completely different team. It's been all them and Ampadu has to send the ball into Row Z to stop a chance, and is that Fabregas trying to tackle... 9:04PM Change for Chelsea Pedro is replaced by Callum Hudson-Odoi 8:51PM HALF-TIME. (4-0) Conte might have a happier press conference today. Chelsea have been calm, patient and composed in a game they were heavy favourites to win. Hull have been disappointing because regardless of your injury woes, you have to do the simple stuff. And they don't seem able to do them well, or at all. 8:48PM 45 + 2 mins Hull have shown more attacking prowess and had more touches in the last three minutes than the previous 44. That says it all... 8:47PM 45 mins (4-0) Fabregas has been reminding everyone in Stamford Bridge of his talents tonight. His passing has been immaculate in this first half. Cabellero just touched the ball! This is not a drill. It was a weak header but at least it gave him something to do. Two minutes of added time. Basically 30 seconds for each goal. 8:44PM Goal! Girouuuuuuuddddddddddd And there it is, his first goal for his new club. The ball bounces around the box and falls to Emerson who crosses at the second attempt, with the ball falling at the feet of the Frenchman. Giroud kisses the debutants head to show his appreciation. 8:42PM 42 mins (3-0) Even when Hull do venture into Chelsea's half, you don't sense that anything will happen unless it's a Chelsea mistake. 8:39PM 38 mins (3-0) Chelsea just playing the ball around the Hull players at the moment as they surely feel confident with their three goal lead. Marshall collects a speculative effort and sends it forward and Evandro attempts something, I'm not sure what as it's nowhere near the goal or one of his teammates. He could've just tried to hold it up... 8:35PM Goal! Willian The Brazilian gets his brace and it is far too simple. Willian plays a back heel into the middle of the park, just outside the box and the visitors should clear it but Giroud is stronger than Dawson and keeps possession to play in his advancing teammate, who makes it 3-0. 8:32PM 31 mins (2-0) The visitors seriously need to get some composure if they are to keep the score at 2-0 until half-time, because at the moment Chelsea are the team that are the Tigers. And Hull are their prey... 8:29PM Goal! Pedro It was coming. Giroud plays in Fabregas and he sends one of those perfect balls up for Pedro. The Spainard brings it down and sends it past Marshall to double their lead. 8:28PM 26 mins (1-0) Emerson shows that he has the ability to start the attack as his run down the left draws a foul from Meyler. It's just outside the box on the near side but the ref blows for a foul to give Hull a goal-kick. It looks like there was dome pushing from Rudiger. A little error from the youngster Ampadu who takes a little too long in his own box but Cabellero is there to clear the danger. He then atones for his mistake by sending a long ball over the top to Willian, who sets up Pedro but Marshall is there to make the easy save. 8:24PM 22 mins (1-0) All Hull's attacks have comes through Irvine, but every time he charges through midfield and then tries to play in Dicko; a blue shirt is there. Michael Dawson - who should know better - concedes a silly free-kick to help Chelsea on their way. Willian is running riot through the Tigers defense this evening. And although Hull keep managing to clear the ball, it's only as far as another Chelsea player. 8:20PM 19 mins The Blues play is very calm at the moment. They obviously have the majority of possession but they aren't rushing their play. Another chance for Giroud as Drinkwater sends a curving ball into the box after collecting Willian's pass but the Frenchman can't get there quick enough. 8:17PM At least they're honest 13 | It should be two. Giroud finds himself free in the area after a chip from Pedro but the striker pokes the ball over Marshall's crossbar #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 8:16PM 14 mins A little better. They get a corner and send it to the edge of the box before Stewart tees it up for Irvine but he heads it over. Zappacosta passes to Pedro on the edge of the box and he chips it over the Hull defence for Giroud but the striker can't keep it down, despite it being on his left foot. Ooh! A very lucky moment for the visitors. Fabregas sends a lovely ball through several Hull players for Pedro, but Marshall manages to get something on it and it's out for a corner. 8:12PM 11 mins Another Chelsea break and this time Willian sends a ball across the box for Giroud but the Frenchman wasn't alert to the opportunity. Hull get a free kick in the middle of the park and it's too long for anyone. It's a wasteful moment from the visitors who will need to use their deadball situations better if they are to test the current Premier League champions. 8:09PM 8 mins The visitors are playing in a 5-4-1 but they're pretty much stuck in their own half. Stewart sends a long ball forward for Dicko, but again, it's no problem for the Chelsea defense. Fabregas takes a short corner and plays a 1-2 with Willian before taking the shot, but Marshall saves down low at his near post. 8:06PM 5 mins Such a silly mistake by Stewart to lose the ball where he did, he should've known the Blues players were surrounding him. But confident from Willian to swing it round Marshall. Hull have a little bit of possession but with a lone striker when it does get near the Chelsea box, it's easily cleared by Rudiger. 8:03PM Goal! Chelsea are already attacking. Hull loss possession about 30 yards out and Willian gets on the ball, twisting around the Tigers defence and curling it in at the far post. 8:02PM Kick-off! The home team get us started and Hull are set up like a team who know they will be on the back foot for most of the game. 7:59PM Tunnel time The teams are heading out onto the pitch, at a packed Stamford Bridge. Who will be one step nearer to that iconic silverware when the final whistle blows? The FA Cup Credit: Getty Images 7:57PM Pitchman predictions Is this sign showing us how the goals will be scored tonight? It wouldn't be a surprise with Giroud on the pitch A sign on the pitch pre-match Credit: Getty Images 7:53PM What it's all about Regardless of the result, I get the sense that these fans will still enjoy their night. Always good to see decent away support - especially when it's a longer journey. At an awkward time. On an awkward day... �� | The black and amber faithful have arrived at Stamford Bridge! #CHEHUL#EmiratesFACuppic.twitter.com/WzSVkPnmaZ— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 7:51PM Not long to go... A reminder of both teams CHELSEA Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro. Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata HULL Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:36PM It's baaaack! It's another test for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) tonight. The last time it made an appearance at Stamford Bridge it worked in the Blues favour. The officials decided not to overturn Willian's yellow card for simulation. Will it be decisive tonight? 7:31PM The visitors Hull have made seven changes ahead of their trip to the current Premier League champions, which isn't a huge surprise given their precarious league position. They are currently 21st in the Championship - one point above the relegation zone - after being relegated from the top flight last season. You'd suspect that Nigel Adkins priorities will be preventing a second consecutive relegation. Prior to the game, he said: "It's a challenging scenario, and like I've said we will need a little bit of cup magic to help us." 7:25PM I'm not a fan Half and half scarfs Credit: Getty 7:23PM A Chelsea debut Emerson Palmieri will make his debut for the Blues tonight. The Brazilian-born Italian defender will wear the number 33 shirt and will just go by his first name. He tends to play on the left and he gets his first start after joining the club from Roma in the summer. The fee was rumoured to be £17.72m with £8m in add-ons. He did play for the Brazilian under-17s but was granted permission to switch to Italy last year. 7:15PM Let's start with some team news This is how the home team will line up this evening... Chelsea: Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata And the injury-ravaged visitors will start the game like this... Hull: Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:12PM Hello Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the FA Cup fifth round tie between Chelsea and Hull City. 7:11PM Preview Chelsea go into their game against Hull City on the back of 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. Antonio Conte will be buoyed by the fact that new signing Olivier Giroud looks to have settled in well, with the Frenchman creating the opening goal for start man Eden Hazard. They are bidding to win the competition for the eighth time after last lifting the trophy in 2012 when they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final at Wembley stadium. Hull boss Nigel Adkins is heading to Chelsea with a mindset of "all to gain, nothing to lose" given his side's injury, ineligibility and suspension worries. Few expect the struggling Championship side to defeat the reigning Premier League champions in Friday's FA Cup fifth-round encounter at Stamford Bridge. Adkins is having to deal with a spate of absentees and a defensive shortfall, with the on-loan Chelsea trio of Michael Hector, Ola Aina and Fikayo Tomori unable to face their parent club. Fellow defenders Stephen Kingsley, Ondrej Mazuch and Moses Odubajo are injured, while Angus MacDonald could be the only senior first-team centre-back available unless Michael Dawson can prove his fitness. "They're forced changes," Adkins said. "It's not as if we want to make all these changes. "You get to the fifth round of the FA Cup and you start dreaming about things, don't you? "I would love to be able to say this is our strongest team to go out there and play, everybody in their best positions, in the formation that's going to suit everybody to give an opportunity to win the game. "On Friday we will be playing players out of position. "I haven't got a problem with that, it's the way it is. We've just got to deal with it." Markus Henriksen, James Weir and Seb Larsson - who is suspended - are also unavailable for the trip to Chelsea, while Kamil Grosicki and Abel Hernandez are coming back from injury.

Chelsea vs Hull City, FA Cup: live score updates

9:56PM FULL-TIME! 4-0 And it's all over at Stamford Bridge officially, although it felt over at half-time with the Blues four goals ahead. Chelsea may have been the heavy favourites but they didn't take that for granted and clearly took their opponents as serious as any other. Fabregas was very good, pinging perfect crosses all over the pitch and Willian took his opportunity with Barcelona just a few days away. Nigel Adkins can be impressed with his teams second half performance, and he may leave London with a bit more confidence for the relegation battle they are facing. 9:51PM 90 + 2 mins It's straight up the other end and it's Fraizer Campbell but Caballero makes another easy save. And we're back again but Zappacosta's cross is too close to Marshall. 9:49PM 89 mins (4-0) Everyone thinks the game is pretty much over but not Willian who picks up the ball about 25 yard out and with those tricky feet he sends another curling shot towards goal. But it's off the post. What a shame! The Brazilian would've deserved his hat-trick. 9:47PM Last Hull change Jackson Irvine is replaced by Dan Batty 9:43PM 84 mins (4-0) Another Hull chance. Dawson plays in Toral on the right wing and he weaves his way to the edge of the box before passing to Diomande, but the forward can't get a head to it. Chelsea are pretty much chilling right now. Like a student in the last ten minutes of an exam that they know they've aced. 9:39PM 80 mins (4-0) Meyler is the next Hull player to try his luck but Cabellero is equal to it. You get the sense that Chelsea have no intention of doing anything silly but they also don't want to exert too much energy with Barcelona on the horizon. A lot of short and/or sideways passes, except for Willian who heads for goal every time the ball is at his feet. 9:37PM 77 mins Really good save from Marshall to save from Drinkwater after it's deflected off one of his defenders. Prior to this the Tigers had kept four clean sheets in their last seven games although McGregor got three of those. 9:32PM 73 mins (4-0) Just under 20 minutes left at Stamford Bridge and Conte won't want his team relaxing now. Morata's first real involvement is to win a corner for his team, it's out and the Blues have another. It falls to Cahill and you would expect him to score but he can't sort his feet out in time. 9:32PM Hull change Nouha Dicko is replaced by Frazier Campbell. Yes, THAT Fraizer Campbell. 9:31PM Final Chelsea change Olivier Giroud departs for Alvaro Morata 9:27PM 68 mins Cabellero is screaming at his defenders after he saves from Dicko at his near post, with the shot coming off his knee. Conte won't be happy with the chances that Hull are creating but Ampadu, in particular, is getting the chance to show his ability. Hull waste another moment of possession as Chelsea get the ball from their corner. Willian is on the edge of the box again and he shoots for his hat-trick but it's blocked. And Zappacosta can't take advantage of the rebound. 9:24PM 64 mins (4-0) Neither team has control at the moment, but Hull will be buzzing with their improvement from the opening half. In regards to possession and number of passes, it's very easily balanced. I guess the challenge for the visitors is to at least draw the second-half, preferably with a clean sheet. 9:22PM Chelsea change Cesc Fabregas is replaced by another debutant, Kyle Scott. 9:21PM Some info on Hudson-Odoi If you aren't familiar with his name, you need to pay more attention to non first-team players. Blues fans have been raving about the 17-year-old for a while and calling for him to get some proper league action. He's been at the club since he was eight, he won the January PL2 Player of the Month award, he's a forward and stands at 6ft. 9:19PM A rare sight Is any other club account so factual and blunt? 56 | Irvine collects the ball on the edge of the area and has a go but his shot is too weak and easy for the Chelsea goalkeeper #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 9:15PM 56 mins (4-0) The home side appear to be a bit unnerved by their visitors in this half. Irvine - who has been Hull's best player - is the latest to have a snapshot but it doesn't have enough power and it doesn't have the height to trouble the Blues keeper. 9:15PM Hull change Harry Wilson makes way for Jon Toral 9:14PM Penalty peeve Just to clarify, Cabellero SAVED Meyler's spot-kick. Meyler did not MISS the penalty. It was on target - therefore it cannot be a miss and the keeper prevented it from crossing the line - by saving it. 9:11PM PENALTY! Meyler has to move the ball because it was evading the white penalty spot. Meyler looks confident and it's a decent strike but... SAVED! Big Willy C goes to his right and makes it look so easy. A chance wasted for the Tigers. 9:09PM 48 mins (4-0) Have Hull been replaced during half-time? Do we have a modern day example of Bodysnatchers because we're early on in this half and they look a completely different team. It's been all them and Ampadu has to send the ball into Row Z to stop a chance, and is that Fabregas trying to tackle... 9:04PM Change for Chelsea Pedro is replaced by Callum Hudson-Odoi 8:51PM HALF-TIME. (4-0) Conte might have a happier press conference today. Chelsea have been calm, patient and composed in a game they were heavy favourites to win. Hull have been disappointing because regardless of your injury woes, you have to do the simple stuff. And they don't seem able to do them well, or at all. 8:48PM 45 + 2 mins Hull have shown more attacking prowess and had more touches in the last three minutes than the previous 44. That says it all... 8:47PM 45 mins (4-0) Fabregas has been reminding everyone in Stamford Bridge of his talents tonight. His passing has been immaculate in this first half. Cabellero just touched the ball! This is not a drill. It was a weak header but at least it gave him something to do. Two minutes of added time. Basically 30 seconds for each goal. 8:44PM Goal! Girouuuuuuuddddddddddd And there it is, his first goal for his new club. The ball bounces around the box and falls to Emerson who crosses at the second attempt, with the ball falling at the feet of the Frenchman. Giroud kisses the debutants head to show his appreciation. 8:42PM 42 mins (3-0) Even when Hull do venture into Chelsea's half, you don't sense that anything will happen unless it's a Chelsea mistake. 8:39PM 38 mins (3-0) Chelsea just playing the ball around the Hull players at the moment as they surely feel confident with their three goal lead. Marshall collects a speculative effort and sends it forward and Evandro attempts something, I'm not sure what as it's nowhere near the goal or one of his teammates. He could've just tried to hold it up... 8:35PM Goal! Willian The Brazilian gets his brace and it is far too simple. Willian plays a back heel into the middle of the park, just outside the box and the visitors should clear it but Giroud is stronger than Dawson and keeps possession to play in his advancing teammate, who makes it 3-0. 8:32PM 31 mins (2-0) The visitors seriously need to get some composure if they are to keep the score at 2-0 until half-time, because at the moment Chelsea are the team that are the Tigers. And Hull are their prey... 8:29PM Goal! Pedro It was coming. Giroud plays in Fabregas and he sends one of those perfect balls up for Pedro. The Spainard brings it down and sends it past Marshall to double their lead. 8:28PM 26 mins (1-0) Emerson shows that he has the ability to start the attack as his run down the left draws a foul from Meyler. It's just outside the box on the near side but the ref blows for a foul to give Hull a goal-kick. It looks like there was dome pushing from Rudiger. A little error from the youngster Ampadu who takes a little too long in his own box but Cabellero is there to clear the danger. He then atones for his mistake by sending a long ball over the top to Willian, who sets up Pedro but Marshall is there to make the easy save. 8:24PM 22 mins (1-0) All Hull's attacks have comes through Irvine, but every time he charges through midfield and then tries to play in Dicko; a blue shirt is there. Michael Dawson - who should know better - concedes a silly free-kick to help Chelsea on their way. Willian is running riot through the Tigers defense this evening. And although Hull keep managing to clear the ball, it's only as far as another Chelsea player. 8:20PM 19 mins The Blues play is very calm at the moment. They obviously have the majority of possession but they aren't rushing their play. Another chance for Giroud as Drinkwater sends a curving ball into the box after collecting Willian's pass but the Frenchman can't get there quick enough. 8:17PM At least they're honest 13 | It should be two. Giroud finds himself free in the area after a chip from Pedro but the striker pokes the ball over Marshall's crossbar #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 8:16PM 14 mins A little better. They get a corner and send it to the edge of the box before Stewart tees it up for Irvine but he heads it over. Zappacosta passes to Pedro on the edge of the box and he chips it over the Hull defence for Giroud but the striker can't keep it down, despite it being on his left foot. Ooh! A very lucky moment for the visitors. Fabregas sends a lovely ball through several Hull players for Pedro, but Marshall manages to get something on it and it's out for a corner. 8:12PM 11 mins Another Chelsea break and this time Willian sends a ball across the box for Giroud but the Frenchman wasn't alert to the opportunity. Hull get a free kick in the middle of the park and it's too long for anyone. It's a wasteful moment from the visitors who will need to use their deadball situations better if they are to test the current Premier League champions. 8:09PM 8 mins The visitors are playing in a 5-4-1 but they're pretty much stuck in their own half. Stewart sends a long ball forward for Dicko, but again, it's no problem for the Chelsea defense. Fabregas takes a short corner and plays a 1-2 with Willian before taking the shot, but Marshall saves down low at his near post. 8:06PM 5 mins Such a silly mistake by Stewart to lose the ball where he did, he should've known the Blues players were surrounding him. But confident from Willian to swing it round Marshall. Hull have a little bit of possession but with a lone striker when it does get near the Chelsea box, it's easily cleared by Rudiger. 8:03PM Goal! Chelsea are already attacking. Hull loss possession about 30 yards out and Willian gets on the ball, twisting around the Tigers defence and curling it in at the far post. 8:02PM Kick-off! The home team get us started and Hull are set up like a team who know they will be on the back foot for most of the game. 7:59PM Tunnel time The teams are heading out onto the pitch, at a packed Stamford Bridge. Who will be one step nearer to that iconic silverware when the final whistle blows? The FA Cup Credit: Getty Images 7:57PM Pitchman predictions Is this sign showing us how the goals will be scored tonight? It wouldn't be a surprise with Giroud on the pitch A sign on the pitch pre-match Credit: Getty Images 7:53PM What it's all about Regardless of the result, I get the sense that these fans will still enjoy their night. Always good to see decent away support - especially when it's a longer journey. At an awkward time. On an awkward day... �� | The black and amber faithful have arrived at Stamford Bridge! #CHEHUL#EmiratesFACuppic.twitter.com/WzSVkPnmaZ— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 7:51PM Not long to go... A reminder of both teams CHELSEA Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro. Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata HULL Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:36PM It's baaaack! It's another test for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) tonight. The last time it made an appearance at Stamford Bridge it worked in the Blues favour. The officials decided not to overturn Willian's yellow card for simulation. Will it be decisive tonight? 7:31PM The visitors Hull have made seven changes ahead of their trip to the current Premier League champions, which isn't a huge surprise given their precarious league position. They are currently 21st in the Championship - one point above the relegation zone - after being relegated from the top flight last season. You'd suspect that Nigel Adkins priorities will be preventing a second consecutive relegation. Prior to the game, he said: "It's a challenging scenario, and like I've said we will need a little bit of cup magic to help us." 7:25PM I'm not a fan Half and half scarfs Credit: Getty 7:23PM A Chelsea debut Emerson Palmieri will make his debut for the Blues tonight. The Brazilian-born Italian defender will wear the number 33 shirt and will just go by his first name. He tends to play on the left and he gets his first start after joining the club from Roma in the summer. The fee was rumoured to be £17.72m with £8m in add-ons. He did play for the Brazilian under-17s but was granted permission to switch to Italy last year. 7:15PM Let's start with some team news This is how the home team will line up this evening... Chelsea: Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata And the injury-ravaged visitors will start the game like this... Hull: Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:12PM Hello Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the FA Cup fifth round tie between Chelsea and Hull City. 7:11PM Preview Chelsea go into their game against Hull City on the back of 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. Antonio Conte will be buoyed by the fact that new signing Olivier Giroud looks to have settled in well, with the Frenchman creating the opening goal for start man Eden Hazard. They are bidding to win the competition for the eighth time after last lifting the trophy in 2012 when they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final at Wembley stadium. Hull boss Nigel Adkins is heading to Chelsea with a mindset of "all to gain, nothing to lose" given his side's injury, ineligibility and suspension worries. Few expect the struggling Championship side to defeat the reigning Premier League champions in Friday's FA Cup fifth-round encounter at Stamford Bridge. Adkins is having to deal with a spate of absentees and a defensive shortfall, with the on-loan Chelsea trio of Michael Hector, Ola Aina and Fikayo Tomori unable to face their parent club. Fellow defenders Stephen Kingsley, Ondrej Mazuch and Moses Odubajo are injured, while Angus MacDonald could be the only senior first-team centre-back available unless Michael Dawson can prove his fitness. "They're forced changes," Adkins said. "It's not as if we want to make all these changes. "You get to the fifth round of the FA Cup and you start dreaming about things, don't you? "I would love to be able to say this is our strongest team to go out there and play, everybody in their best positions, in the formation that's going to suit everybody to give an opportunity to win the game. "On Friday we will be playing players out of position. "I haven't got a problem with that, it's the way it is. We've just got to deal with it." Markus Henriksen, James Weir and Seb Larsson - who is suspended - are also unavailable for the trip to Chelsea, while Kamil Grosicki and Abel Hernandez are coming back from injury.

The old cup magic was in short supply in a Friday night annihilation that only required the biggest names in Antonio Conte’s team to exert themselves briefly to wipe the floor with poor old Hull City who have much bigger worries than an FA Cup defeat at Stamford Bridge. There was a first Chelsea goal for Olivier Giroud since his arrival from Arsenal last month, and there were moments when the Brazilian Willian gave Hull a reminder of what the quality was like in the Premier League – not that many of those from that era have hung around. Chelsea are into the quarter-finals next month with the minimum of fuss, although the visit of Lionel Messi and the rest of Barcelona next week will be a very different experience. This was not a great night for the FA Cup with Hull manager Nigel Adkins fielding just four players who might arguably be in his usual first team, amid injuries and others who were ineligible to play. Chelsea were four goals up by half-time, with two from Willian, and two more from Pedro and Giroud with Hull looking every inch a team who were trying to get in and out of West London with the minimum of embarrassment. There was a debut for the other Chelsea January signing, the left-back Emerson Palmieri from Roma and later Conte brought on Kyle Scott, a 20-year-old from the academy who has largely been making up numbers in the first team training sessions. There were two 17-year-olds on the pitch for Chelsea in the second half with Ethan Ampadu starting the game at the centre of a three-man defence and Callum Hudson-Odoi, the academy’s latest hot prospect, a replacement for Pedro. There were seven changes to the Hull team that unexpectedly beat Nottingham Forest at the City Ground the previous Saturday and with a Championship game against Middlesbrough awaiting them on Tuesday it was not hard to tell that Nigel Adkins’ priorities were elsewhere. Nathan Ampadu gave a confident performance in defense Credit: Getty Images Hull City, the 2014 FA Cup finalists, are toppling badly, a point outside the Championship relegation zone and suffering all the familiar symptoms of a club in crisis: an owner desperate to sell, a fanbase in rebellion and a squad patched together from loanees. Unhappily for Adkins three of his four loanees are from Chelsea and as a result, Michael Hector, Ola Aina and Fiyako Tomori were ineligible to play. Hector and Aina were both part of the team that beat Forest and Tomori has played enough this season to have justified a place in a second string side. The loan convention stands regardless and without the three of them, Hull were even weaker than the Championship strugglers they already are. They were four goals behind by half-time. Not so much a Cup tie, more a question of damage limitation. It was a brutal first half for Kevin Stewart, previously of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool who was guilty of losing possession to Giroud twice for the first and third goals, both scored by Willian. The Brazilian is clearly a cut above anyone on the Hull team and he punctuated the first half with a few moment that were a brutal reminder to the opposition. There was a flick with the instep, and there was a sprint past David Meyler that had the Irishman trying so hard to keep up he looked like a sprinter dipping for the line. But Meyler was not the only Hull man struggling with Willian who dispatched a brilliant left-footed shot past David Marshall after Stewart had turned into trouble in midfield. His second goal, and Chelsea’s third was hit with his right, shaped inside the post after Stewart had again been dispossessed by Giroud. Between times there was a ball flighted over the top of Hull’s defence by Cesc Fabregas which Pedro took with an immaculate first touch with his right and beat Marshall with his left. The fourth came just before half-time when Meyler had the ball put through his legs by Emerson and Giroud clipped a near post shot in for his first Chelsea goal. Willy Caballero saves David Meyler's penalty Credit: Getty Images There was a penalty for Hull in the second half, conceded without complaint by Fabregas who was far too slow getting across to challenge Harry Wilson, on loan at Hull from Liverpool. The 20-year-old landed awkwardly on his shoulder and eventually had to go off as a consequence although not before he had seen Meyler’s penalty saved by Willy Caballero. The Argentine got up to save the rebound too. There was time in the second half for Stamford Bridge to sing Conte’s name and he responded with applause for the supporters who have stood by him through his battles with the club that will surely end with the Italian’s departure his summer. Hull put up a better fight in the second half but by then Chelsea were simply seeing out time. Willian should have scored his hat-trick goal when the Brazilian, Hudson-Odoi and Davide Zappacosta broke on Hull but they took too long to bury the chance Alvaro Morata came off the bench to replace Giroud and it will be interesting to see who Conte starts with in the Champions League tie on Tuesday. The FA Cup may yet provide Conte with his best chance of a trophy if things go badly against Barcelona. After that they play Manchester United and then Manchester City away from home and once those games are over there will be a much clearer picture of where Chelsea’s season is heading. 9:56PM FULL-TIME! 4-0 And it's all over at Stamford Bridge officially, although it felt over at half-time with the Blues four goals ahead. Chelsea may have been the heavy favourites but they didn't take that for granted and clearly took their opponents as serious as any other. Fabregas was very good, pinging perfect crosses all over the pitch and Willian took his opportunity with Barcelona just a few days away. Nigel Adkins can be impressed with his teams second half performance, and he may leave London with a bit more confidence for the relegation battle they are facing. 9:51PM 90 + 2 mins It's straight up the other end and it's Fraizer Campbell but Caballero makes another easy save. And we're back again but Zappacosta's cross is too close to Marshall. 9:49PM 89 mins (4-0) Everyone thinks the game is pretty much over but not Willian who picks up the ball about 25 yard out and with those tricky feet he sends another curling shot towards goal. But it's off the post. What a shame! The Brazilian would've deserved his hat-trick. 9:47PM Last Hull change Jackson Irvine is replaced by Dan Batty 9:43PM 84 mins (4-0) Another Hull chance. Dawson plays in Toral on the right wing and he weaves his way to the edge of the box before passing to Diomande, but the forward can't get a head to it. Chelsea are pretty much chilling right now. Like a student in the last ten minutes of an exam that they know they've aced. 9:39PM 80 mins (4-0) Meyler is the next Hull player to try his luck but Cabellero is equal to it. You get the sense that Chelsea have no intention of doing anything silly but they also don't want to exert too much energy with Barcelona on the horizon. A lot of short and/or sideways passes, except for Willian who heads for goal every time the ball is at his feet. 9:37PM 77 mins Really good save from Marshall to save from Drinkwater after it's deflected off one of his defenders. Prior to this the Tigers had kept four clean sheets in their last seven games although McGregor got three of those. 9:32PM 73 mins (4-0) Just under 20 minutes left at Stamford Bridge and Conte won't want his team relaxing now. Morata's first real involvement is to win a corner for his team, it's out and the Blues have another. It falls to Cahill and you would expect him to score but he can't sort his feet out in time. 9:32PM Hull change Nouha Dicko is replaced by Frazier Campbell. Yes, THAT Fraizer Campbell. 9:31PM Final Chelsea change Olivier Giroud departs for Alvaro Morata 9:27PM 68 mins Cabellero is screaming at his defenders after he saves from Dicko at his near post, with the shot coming off his knee. Conte won't be happy with the chances that Hull are creating but Ampadu, in particular, is getting the chance to show his ability. Hull waste another moment of possession as Chelsea get the ball from their corner. Willian is on the edge of the box again and he shoots for his hat-trick but it's blocked. And Zappacosta can't take advantage of the rebound. 9:24PM 64 mins (4-0) Neither team has control at the moment, but Hull will be buzzing with their improvement from the opening half. In regards to possession and number of passes, it's very easily balanced. I guess the challenge for the visitors is to at least draw the second-half, preferably with a clean sheet. 9:22PM Chelsea change Cesc Fabregas is replaced by another debutant, Kyle Scott. 9:21PM Some info on Hudson-Odoi If you aren't familiar with his name, you need to pay more attention to non first-team players. Blues fans have been raving about the 17-year-old for a while and calling for him to get some proper league action. He's been at the club since he was eight, he won the January PL2 Player of the Month award, he's a forward and stands at 6ft. 9:19PM A rare sight Is any other club account so factual and blunt? 56 | Irvine collects the ball on the edge of the area and has a go but his shot is too weak and easy for the Chelsea goalkeeper #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 9:15PM 56 mins (4-0) The home side appear to be a bit unnerved by their visitors in this half. Irvine - who has been Hull's best player - is the latest to have a snapshot but it doesn't have enough power and it doesn't have the height to trouble the Blues keeper. 9:15PM Hull change Harry Wilson makes way for Jon Toral 9:14PM Penalty peeve Just to clarify, Cabellero SAVED Meyler's spot-kick. Meyler did not MISS the penalty. It was on target - therefore it cannot be a miss and the keeper prevented it from crossing the line - by saving it. 9:11PM PENALTY! Meyler has to move the ball because it was evading the white penalty spot. Meyler looks confident and it's a decent strike but... SAVED! Big Willy C goes to his right and makes it look so easy. A chance wasted for the Tigers. 9:09PM 48 mins (4-0) Have Hull been replaced during half-time? Do we have a modern day example of Bodysnatchers because we're early on in this half and they look a completely different team. It's been all them and Ampadu has to send the ball into Row Z to stop a chance, and is that Fabregas trying to tackle... 9:04PM Change for Chelsea Pedro is replaced by Callum Hudson-Odoi 8:51PM HALF-TIME. (4-0) Conte might have a happier press conference today. Chelsea have been calm, patient and composed in a game they were heavy favourites to win. Hull have been disappointing because regardless of your injury woes, you have to do the simple stuff. And they don't seem able to do them well, or at all. 8:48PM 45 + 2 mins Hull have shown more attacking prowess and had more touches in the last three minutes than the previous 44. That says it all... 8:47PM 45 mins (4-0) Fabregas has been reminding everyone in Stamford Bridge of his talents tonight. His passing has been immaculate in this first half. Cabellero just touched the ball! This is not a drill. It was a weak header but at least it gave him something to do. Two minutes of added time. Basically 30 seconds for each goal. 8:44PM Goal! Girouuuuuuuddddddddddd And there it is, his first goal for his new club. The ball bounces around the box and falls to Emerson who crosses at the second attempt, with the ball falling at the feet of the Frenchman. Giroud kisses the debutants head to show his appreciation. 8:42PM 42 mins (3-0) Even when Hull do venture into Chelsea's half, you don't sense that anything will happen unless it's a Chelsea mistake. 8:39PM 38 mins (3-0) Chelsea just playing the ball around the Hull players at the moment as they surely feel confident with their three goal lead. Marshall collects a speculative effort and sends it forward and Evandro attempts something, I'm not sure what as it's nowhere near the goal or one of his teammates. He could've just tried to hold it up... 8:35PM Goal! Willian The Brazilian gets his brace and it is far too simple. Willian plays a back heel into the middle of the park, just outside the box and the visitors should clear it but Giroud is stronger than Dawson and keeps possession to play in his advancing teammate, who makes it 3-0. 8:32PM 31 mins (2-0) The visitors seriously need to get some composure if they are to keep the score at 2-0 until half-time, because at the moment Chelsea are the team that are the Tigers. And Hull are their prey... 8:29PM Goal! Pedro It was coming. Giroud plays in Fabregas and he sends one of those perfect balls up for Pedro. The Spainard brings it down and sends it past Marshall to double their lead. 8:28PM 26 mins (1-0) Emerson shows that he has the ability to start the attack as his run down the left draws a foul from Meyler. It's just outside the box on the near side but the ref blows for a foul to give Hull a goal-kick. It looks like there was dome pushing from Rudiger. A little error from the youngster Ampadu who takes a little too long in his own box but Cabellero is there to clear the danger. He then atones for his mistake by sending a long ball over the top to Willian, who sets up Pedro but Marshall is there to make the easy save. 8:24PM 22 mins (1-0) All Hull's attacks have comes through Irvine, but every time he charges through midfield and then tries to play in Dicko; a blue shirt is there. Michael Dawson - who should know better - concedes a silly free-kick to help Chelsea on their way. Willian is running riot through the Tigers defense this evening. And although Hull keep managing to clear the ball, it's only as far as another Chelsea player. 8:20PM 19 mins The Blues play is very calm at the moment. They obviously have the majority of possession but they aren't rushing their play. Another chance for Giroud as Drinkwater sends a curving ball into the box after collecting Willian's pass but the Frenchman can't get there quick enough. 8:17PM At least they're honest 13 | It should be two. Giroud finds himself free in the area after a chip from Pedro but the striker pokes the ball over Marshall's crossbar #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 8:16PM 14 mins A little better. They get a corner and send it to the edge of the box before Stewart tees it up for Irvine but he heads it over. Zappacosta passes to Pedro on the edge of the box and he chips it over the Hull defence for Giroud but the striker can't keep it down, despite it being on his left foot. Ooh! A very lucky moment for the visitors. Fabregas sends a lovely ball through several Hull players for Pedro, but Marshall manages to get something on it and it's out for a corner. 8:12PM 11 mins Another Chelsea break and this time Willian sends a ball across the box for Giroud but the Frenchman wasn't alert to the opportunity. Hull get a free kick in the middle of the park and it's too long for anyone. It's a wasteful moment from the visitors who will need to use their deadball situations better if they are to test the current Premier League champions. 8:09PM 8 mins The visitors are playing in a 5-4-1 but they're pretty much stuck in their own half. Stewart sends a long ball forward for Dicko, but again, it's no problem for the Chelsea defense. Fabregas takes a short corner and plays a 1-2 with Willian before taking the shot, but Marshall saves down low at his near post. 8:06PM 5 mins Such a silly mistake by Stewart to lose the ball where he did, he should've known the Blues players were surrounding him. But confident from Willian to swing it round Marshall. Hull have a little bit of possession but with a lone striker when it does get near the Chelsea box, it's easily cleared by Rudiger. 8:03PM Goal! Chelsea are already attacking. Hull loss possession about 30 yards out and Willian gets on the ball, twisting around the Tigers defence and curling it in at the far post. 8:02PM Kick-off! The home team get us started and Hull are set up like a team who know they will be on the back foot for most of the game. 7:59PM Tunnel time The teams are heading out onto the pitch, at a packed Stamford Bridge. Who will be one step nearer to that iconic silverware when the final whistle blows? The FA Cup Credit: Getty Images 7:57PM Pitchman predictions Is this sign showing us how the goals will be scored tonight? It wouldn't be a surprise with Giroud on the pitch A sign on the pitch pre-match Credit: Getty Images 7:53PM What it's all about Regardless of the result, I get the sense that these fans will still enjoy their night. Always good to see decent away support - especially when it's a longer journey. At an awkward time. On an awkward day... �� | The black and amber faithful have arrived at Stamford Bridge! #CHEHUL#EmiratesFACuppic.twitter.com/WzSVkPnmaZ— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 7:51PM Not long to go... A reminder of both teams CHELSEA Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro. Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata HULL Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:36PM It's baaaack! It's another test for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) tonight. The last time it made an appearance at Stamford Bridge it worked in the Blues favour. The officials decided not to overturn Willian's yellow card for simulation. Will it be decisive tonight? 7:31PM The visitors Hull have made seven changes ahead of their trip to the current Premier League champions, which isn't a huge surprise given their precarious league position. They are currently 21st in the Championship - one point above the relegation zone - after being relegated from the top flight last season. You'd suspect that Nigel Adkins priorities will be preventing a second consecutive relegation. Prior to the game, he said: "It's a challenging scenario, and like I've said we will need a little bit of cup magic to help us." 7:25PM I'm not a fan Half and half scarfs Credit: Getty 7:23PM A Chelsea debut Emerson Palmieri will make his debut for the Blues tonight. The Brazilian-born Italian defender will wear the number 33 shirt and will just go by his first name. He tends to play on the left and he gets his first start after joining the club from Roma in the summer. The fee was rumoured to be £17.72m with £8m in add-ons. He did play for the Brazilian under-17s but was granted permission to switch to Italy last year. 7:15PM Let's start with some team news This is how the home team will line up this evening... Chelsea: Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata And the injury-ravaged visitors will start the game like this... Hull: Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:12PM Hello Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the FA Cup fifth round tie between Chelsea and Hull City. 7:11PM Preview Chelsea go into their game against Hull City on the back of 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. Antonio Conte will be buoyed by the fact that new signing Olivier Giroud looks to have settled in well, with the Frenchman creating the opening goal for start man Eden Hazard. They are bidding to win the competition for the eighth time after last lifting the trophy in 2012 when they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final at Wembley stadium. Hull boss Nigel Adkins is heading to Chelsea with a mindset of "all to gain, nothing to lose" given his side's injury, ineligibility and suspension worries. Few expect the struggling Championship side to defeat the reigning Premier League champions in Friday's FA Cup fifth-round encounter at Stamford Bridge. Adkins is having to deal with a spate of absentees and a defensive shortfall, with the on-loan Chelsea trio of Michael Hector, Ola Aina and Fikayo Tomori unable to face their parent club. Fellow defenders Stephen Kingsley, Ondrej Mazuch and Moses Odubajo are injured, while Angus MacDonald could be the only senior first-team centre-back available unless Michael Dawson can prove his fitness. "They're forced changes," Adkins said. "It's not as if we want to make all these changes. "You get to the fifth round of the FA Cup and you start dreaming about things, don't you? "I would love to be able to say this is our strongest team to go out there and play, everybody in their best positions, in the formation that's going to suit everybody to give an opportunity to win the game. "On Friday we will be playing players out of position. "I haven't got a problem with that, it's the way it is. We've just got to deal with it." Markus Henriksen, James Weir and Seb Larsson - who is suspended - are also unavailable for the trip to Chelsea, while Kamil Grosicki and Abel Hernandez are coming back from injury.

Chelsea vs Hull City, FA Cup: live score updates

9:43PM 84 mins (4-0) Another Hull chance. Dawson plays in Toral on the right wing and he weaves his way to the edge of the box before passing to Diomande, but the forward can't get a head to it. Chelsea are pretty much chilling right now. Like a student in the last ten minutes of an exam that they know they've aced. 9:39PM 80 mins (4-0) Meyler is the next Hull player to try his luck but Cabellero is equal to it. You get the sense that Chelsea have no intention of doing anything silly but they also don't want to exert too much energy with Barcelona on the horizon. A lot of short and/or sideways passes, except for Willian who heads for goal every time the ball is at his feet. 9:37PM 77 mins Really good save from Marshall to save from Drinkwater after it's deflected off one of his defenders. Prior to this the Tigers had kept four clean sheets in their last seven games although McGregor got three of those. 9:32PM 73 mins (4-0) Just under 20 minutes left at Stamford Bridge and Conte won't want his team relaxing now. Morata's first real involvement is to win a corner for his team, it's out and the Blues have another. It falls to Cahill and you would expect him to score but he can't sort his feet out in time. 9:32PM Hull change Nouha Dicko is replaced by Frazier Campbell. Yes, THAT Fraizer Campbell. 9:31PM Final Chelsea change Olivier Giroud departs for Alvaro Morata 9:27PM 68 mins Cabellero is screaming at his defenders after he saves from Dicko at his near post, with the shot coming off his knee. Conte won't be happy with the chances that Hull are creating but Ampadu, in particular, is getting the chance to show his ability. Hull waste another moment of possession as Chelsea get the ball from their corner. Willian is on the edge of the box again and he shoots for his hat-trick but it's blocked. And Zappacosta can't take advantage of the rebound. 9:24PM 64 mins (4-0) Neither team has control at the moment, but Hull will be buzzing with their improvement from the opening half. In regards to possession and number of passes, it's very easily balanced. I guess the challenge for the visitors is to at least draw the second-half, preferably with a clean sheet. 9:22PM Chelsea change Cesc Fabregas is replaced by another debutant, Kyle Scott. 9:21PM Some info on Hudson-Odoi If you aren't familiar with his name, you need to pay more attention to non first-team players. Blues fans have been raving about the 17-year-old for a while and calling for him to get some proper league action. He's been at the club since he was eight, he won the January PL2 Player of the Month award, he's a forward and stands at 6ft. 9:19PM A rare sight Is any other club account so factual and blunt? 56 | Irvine collects the ball on the edge of the area and has a go but his shot is too weak and easy for the Chelsea goalkeeper #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 9:15PM 56 mins (4-0) The home side appear to be a bit unnerved by their visitors in this half. Irvine - who has been Hull's best player - is the latest to have a snapshot but it doesn't have enough power and it doesn't have the height to trouble the Blues keeper. 9:15PM Hull change Harry Wilson makes way for Jon Toral 9:14PM Penalty peeve Just to clarify, Cabellero SAVED Meyler's spot-kick. Meyler did not MISS the penalty. It was on target - therefore it cannot be a miss and the keeper prevented it from crossing the line - by saving it. 9:11PM PENALTY! Meyler has to move the ball because it was evading the white penalty spot. Meyler looks confident and it's a decent strike but... SAVED! Big Willy C goes to his right and makes it look so easy. A chance wasted for the Tigers. 9:09PM 48 mins (4-0) Have Hull been replaced during half-time? Do we have a modern day example of Bodysnatchers because we're early on in this half and they look a completely different team. It's been all them and Ampadu has to send the ball into Row Z to stop a chance, and is that Fabregas trying to tackle... 9:04PM Change for Chelsea Pedro is replaced by Callum Hudson-Odoi 8:51PM HALF-TIME. (4-0) Conte might have a happier press conference today. Chelsea have been calm, patient and composed in a game they were heavy favourites to win. Hull have been disappointing because regardless of your injury woes, you have to do the simple stuff. And they don't seem able to do them well, or at all. 8:48PM 45 + 2 mins Hull have shown more attacking prowess and had more touches in the last three minutes than the previous 44. That says it all... 8:47PM 45 mins (4-0) Fabregas has been reminding everyone in Stamford Bridge of his talents tonight. His passing has been immaculate in this first half. Cabellero just touched the ball! This is not a drill. It was a weak header but at least it gave him something to do. Two minutes of added time. Basically 30 seconds for each goal. 8:44PM Goal! Girouuuuuuuddddddddddd And there it is, his first goal for his new club. The ball bounces around the box and falls to Emerson who crosses at the second attempt, with the ball falling at the feet of the Frenchman. Giroud kisses the debutants head to show his appreciation. 8:42PM 42 mins (3-0) Even when Hull do venture into Chelsea's half, you don't sense that anything will happen unless it's a Chelsea mistake. 8:39PM 38 mins (3-0) Chelsea just playing the ball around the Hull players at the moment as they surely feel confident with their three goal lead. Marshall collects a speculative effort and sends it forward and Evandro attempts something, I'm not sure what as it's nowhere near the goal or one of his teammates. He could've just tried to hold it up... 8:35PM Goal! Willian The Brazilian gets his brace and it is far too simple. Willian plays a back heel into the middle of the park, just outside the box and the visitors should clear it but Giroud is stronger than Dawson and keeps possession to play in his advancing teammate, who makes it 3-0. 8:32PM 31 mins (2-0) The visitors seriously need to get some composure if they are to keep the score at 2-0 until half-time, because at the moment Chelsea are the team that are the Tigers. And Hull are their prey... 8:29PM Goal! Pedro It was coming. Giroud plays in Fabregas and he sends one of those perfect balls up for Pedro. The Spainard brings it down and sends it past Marshall to double their lead. 8:28PM 26 mins (1-0) Emerson shows that he has the ability to start the attack as his run down the left draws a foul from Meyler. It's just outside the box on the near side but the ref blows for a foul to give Hull a goal-kick. It looks like there was dome pushing from Rudiger. A little error from the youngster Ampadu who takes a little too long in his own box but Cabellero is there to clear the danger. He then atones for his mistake by sending a long ball over the top to Willian, who sets up Pedro but Marshall is there to make the easy save. 8:24PM 22 mins (1-0) All Hull's attacks have comes through Irvine, but every time he charges through midfield and then tries to play in Dicko; a blue shirt is there. Michael Dawson - who should know better - concedes a silly free-kick to help Chelsea on their way. Willian is running riot through the Tigers defense this evening. And although Hull keep managing to clear the ball, it's only as far as another Chelsea player. 8:20PM 19 mins The Blues play is very calm at the moment. They obviously have the majority of possession but they aren't rushing their play. Another chance for Giroud as Drinkwater sends a curving ball into the box after collecting Willian's pass but the Frenchman can't get there quick enough. 8:17PM At least they're honest 13 | It should be two. Giroud finds himself free in the area after a chip from Pedro but the striker pokes the ball over Marshall's crossbar #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 8:16PM 14 mins A little better. They get a corner and send it to the edge of the box before Stewart tees it up for Irvine but he heads it over. Zappacosta passes to Pedro on the edge of the box and he chips it over the Hull defence for Giroud but the striker can't keep it down, despite it being on his left foot. Ooh! A very lucky moment for the visitors. Fabregas sends a lovely ball through several Hull players for Pedro, but Marshall manages to get something on it and it's out for a corner. 8:12PM 11 mins Another Chelsea break and this time Willian sends a ball across the box for Giroud but the Frenchman wasn't alert to the opportunity. Hull get a free kick in the middle of the park and it's too long for anyone. It's a wasteful moment from the visitors who will need to use their deadball situations better if they are to test the current Premier League champions. 8:09PM 8 mins The visitors are playing in a 5-4-1 but they're pretty much stuck in their own half. Stewart sends a long ball forward for Dicko, but again, it's no problem for the Chelsea defense. Fabregas takes a short corner and plays a 1-2 with Willian before taking the shot, but Marshall saves down low at his near post. 8:06PM 5 mins Such a silly mistake by Stewart to lose the ball where he did, he should've known the Blues players were surrounding him. But confident from Willian to swing it round Marshall. Hull have a little bit of possession but with a lone striker when it does get near the Chelsea box, it's easily cleared by Rudiger. 8:03PM Goal! Chelsea are already attacking. Hull loss possession about 30 yards out and Willian gets on the ball, twisting around the Tigers defence and curling it in at the far post. 8:02PM Kick-off! The home team get us started and Hull are set up like a team who know they will be on the back foot for most of the game. 7:59PM Tunnel time The teams are heading out onto the pitch, at a packed Stamford Bridge. Who will be one step nearer to that iconic silverware when the final whistle blows? The FA Cup Credit: Getty Images 7:57PM Pitchman predictions Is this sign showing us how the goals will be scored tonight? It wouldn't be a surprise with Giroud on the pitch A sign on the pitch pre-match Credit: Getty Images 7:53PM What it's all about Regardless of the result, I get the sense that these fans will still enjoy their night. Always good to see decent away support - especially when it's a longer journey. At an awkward time. On an awkward day... �� | The black and amber faithful have arrived at Stamford Bridge! #CHEHUL#EmiratesFACuppic.twitter.com/WzSVkPnmaZ— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 7:51PM Not long to go... A reminder of both teams CHELSEA Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro. Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata HULL Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:36PM It's baaaack! It's another test for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) tonight. The last time it made an appearance at Stamford Bridge it worked in the Blues favour. The officials decided not to overturn Willian's yellow card for simulation. Will it be decisive tonight? 7:31PM The visitors Hull have made seven changes ahead of their trip to the current Premier League champions, which isn't a huge surprise given their precarious league position. They are currently 21st in the Championship - one point above the relegation zone - after being relegated from the top flight last season. You'd suspect that Nigel Adkins priorities will be preventing a second consecutive relegation. Prior to the game, he said: "It's a challenging scenario, and like I've said we will need a little bit of cup magic to help us." 7:25PM I'm not a fan Half and half scarfs Credit: Getty 7:23PM A Chelsea debut Emerson Palmieri will make his debut for the Blues tonight. The Brazilian-born Italian defender will wear the number 33 shirt and will just go by his first name. He tends to play on the left and he gets his first start after joining the club from Roma in the summer. The fee was rumoured to be £17.72m with £8m in add-ons. He did play for the Brazilian under-17s but was granted permission to switch to Italy last year. 7:15PM Let's start with some team news This is how the home team will line up this evening... Chelsea: Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata And the injury-ravaged visitors will start the game like this... Hull: Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:12PM Hello Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the FA Cup fifth round tie between Chelsea and Hull City. 7:11PM Preview Chelsea go into their game against Hull City on the back of 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. Antonio Conte will be buoyed by the fact that new signing Olivier Giroud looks to have settled in well, with the Frenchman creating the opening goal for start man Eden Hazard. They are bidding to win the competition for the eighth time after last lifting the trophy in 2012 when they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final at Wembley stadium. Hull boss Nigel Adkins is heading to Chelsea with a mindset of "all to gain, nothing to lose" given his side's injury, ineligibility and suspension worries. Few expect the struggling Championship side to defeat the reigning Premier League champions in Friday's FA Cup fifth-round encounter at Stamford Bridge. Adkins is having to deal with a spate of absentees and a defensive shortfall, with the on-loan Chelsea trio of Michael Hector, Ola Aina and Fikayo Tomori unable to face their parent club. Fellow defenders Stephen Kingsley, Ondrej Mazuch and Moses Odubajo are injured, while Angus MacDonald could be the only senior first-team centre-back available unless Michael Dawson can prove his fitness. "They're forced changes," Adkins said. "It's not as if we want to make all these changes. "You get to the fifth round of the FA Cup and you start dreaming about things, don't you? "I would love to be able to say this is our strongest team to go out there and play, everybody in their best positions, in the formation that's going to suit everybody to give an opportunity to win the game. "On Friday we will be playing players out of position. "I haven't got a problem with that, it's the way it is. We've just got to deal with it." Markus Henriksen, James Weir and Seb Larsson - who is suspended - are also unavailable for the trip to Chelsea, while Kamil Grosicki and Abel Hernandez are coming back from injury.

Chelsea vs Hull City, FA Cup: live score updates

8:47PM 45 mins (4-0) Fabregas has been reminding everyone in Stamford Bridge of his talents tonight. His passing has been immaculate in this first half. Cabellero just touched the ball! This is not a drill. It was a weak header but at least it gave him something to do. Two minutes of added time. Basically 30 seconds for each goal. 8:44PM Goal! Girouuuuuuuddddddddddd And there it is, his first goal for his new club. The ball bounces around the box and falls to Emerson who crosses at the second attempt, with the ball falling at the feet of the Frenchman. Giroud kisses the debutants head to show his appreciation. 8:42PM 42 mins (3-0) Even when Hull do venture into Chelsea's half, you don't sense that anything will happen unless it's a Chelsea mistake. 8:39PM 38 mins (3-0) Chelsea just playing the ball around the Hull players at the moment as they surely feel confident with their three goal lead. Marshall collects a speculative effort and sends it forward and Evandro attempts something, I'm not sure what as it's nowhere near the goal or one of his teammates. He could've just tried to hold it up... 8:35PM Goal! Willian The Brazilian gets his brace and it is far too simple. Willian plays a back heel into the middle of the park, just outside the box and the visitors should clear it but Giroud is stronger than Dawson and keeps possession to play in his advancing teammate, who makes it 3-0. 8:32PM 31 mins (2-0) The visitors seriously need to get some composure if they are to keep the score at 2-0 until half-time, because at the moment Chelsea are the team that are the Tigers. And Hull are their prey... 8:29PM Goal! Pedro It was coming. Giroud plays in Fabregas and he sends one of those perfect balls up for Pedro. The Spainard brings it down and sends it past Marshall to double their lead. 8:28PM 26 mins (1-0) Emerson shows that he has the ability to start the attack as his run down the left draws a foul from Meyler. It's just outside the box on the near side but the ref blows for a foul to give Hull a goal-kick. It looks like there was dome pushing from Rudiger. A little error from the youngster Ampadu who takes a little too long in his own box but Cabellero is there to clear the danger. He then atones for his mistake by sending a long ball over the top to Willian, who sets up Pedro but Marshall is there to make the easy save. 8:24PM 22 mins (1-0) All Hull's attacks have comes through Irvine, but every time he charges through midfield and then tries to play in Dicko; a blue shirt is there. Michael Dawson - who should know better - concedes a silly free-kick to help Chelsea on their way. Willian is running riot through the Tigers defense this evening. And although Hull keep managing to clear the ball, it's only as far as another Chelsea player. 8:20PM 19 mins The Blues play is very calm at the moment. They obviously have the majority of possession but they aren't rushing their play. Another chance for Giroud as Drinkwater sends a curving ball into the box after collecting Willian's pass but the Frenchman can't get there quick enough. 8:17PM At least they're honest 13 | It should be two. Giroud finds himself free in the area after a chip from Pedro but the striker pokes the ball over Marshall's crossbar #CHEHUL— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 8:16PM 14 mins A little better. They get a corner and send it to the edge of the box before Stewart tees it up for Irvine but he heads it over. Zappacosta passes to Pedro on the edge of the box and he chips it over the Hull defence for Giroud but the striker can't keep it down, despite it being on his left foot. Ooh! A very lucky moment for the visitors. Fabregas sends a lovely ball through several Hull players for Pedro, but Marshall manages to get something on it and it's out for a corner. 8:12PM 11 mins Another Chelsea break and this time Willian sends a ball across the box for Giroud but the Frenchman wasn't alert to the opportunity. Hull get a free kick in the middle of the park and it's too long for anyone. It's a wasteful moment from the visitors who will need to use their deadball situations better if they are to test the current Premier League champions. 8:09PM 8 mins The visitors are playing in a 5-4-1 but they're pretty much stuck in their own half. Stewart sends a long ball forward for Dicko, but again, it's no problem for the Chelsea defense. Fabregas takes a short corner and plays a 1-2 with Willian before taking the shot, but Marshall saves down low at his near post. 8:06PM 5 mins Such a silly mistake by Stewart to lose the ball where he did, he should've known the Blues players were surrounding him. But confident from Willian to swing it round Marshall. Hull have a little bit of possession but with a lone striker when it does get near the Chelsea box, it's easily cleared by Rudiger. 8:03PM Goal! Chelsea are already attacking. Hull loss possession about 30 yards out and Willian gets on the ball, twisting around the Tigers defence and curling it in at the far post. 8:02PM Kick-off! The home team get us started and Hull are set up like a team who know they will be on the back foot for most of the game. 7:59PM Tunnel time The teams are heading out onto the pitch, at a packed Stamford Bridge. Who will be one step nearer to that iconic silverware when the final whistle blows? The FA Cup Credit: Getty Images 7:57PM Pitchman predictions Is this sign showing us how the goals will be scored tonight? It wouldn't be a surprise with Giroud on the pitch A sign on the pitch pre-match Credit: Getty Images 7:53PM What it's all about Regardless of the result, I get the sense that these fans will still enjoy their night. Always good to see decent away support - especially when it's a longer journey. At an awkward time. On an awkward day... �� | The black and amber faithful have arrived at Stamford Bridge! #CHEHUL#EmiratesFACuppic.twitter.com/WzSVkPnmaZ— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 7:51PM Not long to go... A reminder of both teams CHELSEA Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro. Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata HULL Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:36PM It's baaaack! It's another test for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) tonight. The last time it made an appearance at Stamford Bridge it worked in the Blues favour. The officials decided not to overturn Willian's yellow card for simulation. Will it be decisive tonight? 7:31PM The visitors Hull have made seven changes ahead of their trip to the current Premier League champions, which isn't a huge surprise given their precarious league position. They are currently 21st in the Championship - one point above the relegation zone - after being relegated from the top flight last season. You'd suspect that Nigel Adkins priorities will be preventing a second consecutive relegation. Prior to the game, he said: "It's a challenging scenario, and like I've said we will need a little bit of cup magic to help us." 7:25PM I'm not a fan Half and half scarfs Credit: Getty 7:23PM A Chelsea debut Emerson Palmieri will make his debut for the Blues tonight. The Brazilian-born Italian defender will wear the number 33 shirt and will just go by his first name. He tends to play on the left and he gets his first start after joining the club from Roma in the summer. The fee was rumoured to be £17.72m with £8m in add-ons. He did play for the Brazilian under-17s but was granted permission to switch to Italy last year. 7:15PM Let's start with some team news This is how the home team will line up this evening... Chelsea: Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata And the injury-ravaged visitors will start the game like this... Hull: Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:12PM Hello Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the FA Cup fifth round tie between Chelsea and Hull City. 7:11PM Preview Chelsea go into their game against Hull City on the back of 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. Antonio Conte will be buoyed by the fact that new signing Olivier Giroud looks to have settled in well, with the Frenchman creating the opening goal for start man Eden Hazard. They are bidding to win the competition for the eighth time after last lifting the trophy in 2012 when they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final at Wembley stadium. Hull boss Nigel Adkins is heading to Chelsea with a mindset of "all to gain, nothing to lose" given his side's injury, ineligibility and suspension worries. Few expect the struggling Championship side to defeat the reigning Premier League champions in Friday's FA Cup fifth-round encounter at Stamford Bridge. Adkins is having to deal with a spate of absentees and a defensive shortfall, with the on-loan Chelsea trio of Michael Hector, Ola Aina and Fikayo Tomori unable to face their parent club. Fellow defenders Stephen Kingsley, Ondrej Mazuch and Moses Odubajo are injured, while Angus MacDonald could be the only senior first-team centre-back available unless Michael Dawson can prove his fitness. "They're forced changes," Adkins said. "It's not as if we want to make all these changes. "You get to the fifth round of the FA Cup and you start dreaming about things, don't you? "I would love to be able to say this is our strongest team to go out there and play, everybody in their best positions, in the formation that's going to suit everybody to give an opportunity to win the game. "On Friday we will be playing players out of position. "I haven't got a problem with that, it's the way it is. We've just got to deal with it." Markus Henriksen, James Weir and Seb Larsson - who is suspended - are also unavailable for the trip to Chelsea, while Kamil Grosicki and Abel Hernandez are coming back from injury.

Chelsea vs Hull City, FA Cup: live score updates

8:12PM 11 mins Another Chelsea break and this time Willian sends a ball across the box for Giroud but the Frenchman wasn't alert to the opportunity. Hull get a free kick in the middle of the park and it's too long for anyone. It's a wasteful moment from the visitors who will need to use their deadball situations better if they are to test the current Premier League champions. 8:09PM 8 mins The visitors are playing in a 5-4-1 but they're pretty much stuck in their own half. Stewart sends a long ball forward for Dicko, but again, it's no problem for the Chelsea defense. Fabregas takes a short corner and plays a 1-2 with Willian before taking the shot, but Marshall saves down low at his near post. 8:06PM 5 mins Such a silly mistake by Stewart to lose the ball where he did, he should've known the Blues players were surrounding him. But confident from Willian to swing it round Marshall. Hull have a little bit of possession but with a lone striker when it does get near the Chelsea box, it's easily cleared by Rudiger. 8:03PM Goal! Chelsea are already attacking. Hull loss possession about 30 yards out and Willian gets on the ball, twisting around the Tigers defence and curling it in at the far post. 8:02PM Kick-off! The home team get us started and Hull are set up like a team who know they will be on the back foot for most of the game. 7:59PM Tunnel time The teams are heading out onto the pitch, at a packed Stamford Bridge. Who will be one step nearer to that iconic silverware when the final whistle blows? The FA Cup Credit: Getty Images 7:57PM Pitchman predictions Is this sign showing us how the goals will be scored tonight? It wouldn't be a surprise with Giroud on the pitch A sign on the pitch pre-match Credit: Getty Images 7:53PM What it's all about Regardless of the result, I get the sense that these fans will still enjoy their night. Always good to see decent away support - especially when it's a longer journey. At an awkward time. On an awkward day... �� | The black and amber faithful have arrived at Stamford Bridge! #CHEHUL#EmiratesFACuppic.twitter.com/WzSVkPnmaZ— Hull City (@HullCity) February 16, 2018 7:51PM Not long to go... A reminder of both teams CHELSEA Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro. Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata HULL Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:36PM It's baaaack! It's another test for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) tonight. The last time it made an appearance at Stamford Bridge it worked in the Blues favour. The officials decided not to overturn Willian's yellow card for simulation. Will it be decisive tonight? 7:31PM The visitors Hull have made seven changes ahead of their trip to the current Premier League champions, which isn't a huge surprise given their precarious league position. They are currently 21st in the Championship - one point above the relegation zone - after being relegated from the top flight last season. You'd suspect that Nigel Adkins priorities will be preventing a second consecutive relegation. Prior to the game, he said: "It's a challenging scenario, and like I've said we will need a little bit of cup magic to help us." 7:25PM I'm not a fan Half and half scarfs Credit: Getty 7:23PM A Chelsea debut Emerson Palmieri will make his debut for the Blues tonight. The Brazilian-born Italian defender will wear the number 33 shirt and will just go by his first name. He tends to play on the left and he gets his first start after joining the club from Roma in the summer. The fee was rumoured to be £17.72m with £8m in add-ons. He did play for the Brazilian under-17s but was granted permission to switch to Italy last year. 7:15PM Let's start with some team news This is how the home team will line up this evening... Chelsea: Caballero; Rudiger, Cahill (c), Ampadu; Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Emerson; Willian, Giroud, Pedro Subs: Eduardo, Chalobah, Sterling, Scott, Moses, Hudson-Odoi, Morata And the injury-ravaged visitors will start the game like this... Hull: Marshall, Irvine, Meyler, Dicko, Diomande, Evandro, M. Dawson, Clark, Stewart, Wilson, Macdonald Subs: McGregor, Grosiki, Toral, Batty, Keane, Campbell and Clackstone 7:12PM Hello Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the FA Cup fifth round tie between Chelsea and Hull City. 7:11PM Preview Chelsea go into their game against Hull City on the back of 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. Antonio Conte will be buoyed by the fact that new signing Olivier Giroud looks to have settled in well, with the Frenchman creating the opening goal for start man Eden Hazard. They are bidding to win the competition for the eighth time after last lifting the trophy in 2012 when they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final at Wembley stadium. Hull boss Nigel Adkins is heading to Chelsea with a mindset of "all to gain, nothing to lose" given his side's injury, ineligibility and suspension worries. Few expect the struggling Championship side to defeat the reigning Premier League champions in Friday's FA Cup fifth-round encounter at Stamford Bridge. Adkins is having to deal with a spate of absentees and a defensive shortfall, with the on-loan Chelsea trio of Michael Hector, Ola Aina and Fikayo Tomori unable to face their parent club. Fellow defenders Stephen Kingsley, Ondrej Mazuch and Moses Odubajo are injured, while Angus MacDonald could be the only senior first-team centre-back available unless Michael Dawson can prove his fitness. "They're forced changes," Adkins said. "It's not as if we want to make all these changes. "You get to the fifth round of the FA Cup and you start dreaming about things, don't you? "I would love to be able to say this is our strongest team to go out there and play, everybody in their best positions, in the formation that's going to suit everybody to give an opportunity to win the game. "On Friday we will be playing players out of position. "I haven't got a problem with that, it's the way it is. We've just got to deal with it." Markus Henriksen, James Weir and Seb Larsson - who is suspended - are also unavailable for the trip to Chelsea, while Kamil Grosicki and Abel Hernandez are coming back from injury.

Liverpool pull out of £62m deal for Roma's Alisson

Liverpool pull out of £62m deal for Roma's Alisson

Liverpool pull out of £62m deal for Roma's Alisson

Liverpool pull out of £62m deal for Roma's Alisson

Liverpool pull out of £62m deal for Roma's Alisson

Jurgen Klopp has ended his pursuit of the Brazilian to stick with and support Loris Karius as he endeavours to be the club’s long-term No.1

Liverpool could stick with Loris Karius instead of buying a £70m goalkeeper this summer

Jurgen Klopp is ready to abandon plans to pursue Roma goalkeeper Alisson as Loris Karius’ hopes of establishing himself as the long-term Liverpool number one have increased. Liverpool are likely to need another keeper at the end of the season as the recently demoted Simon Mignolet is sure to seek first team football elsewhere. But with Karius showing encouraging form since being confirmed as undisputed first choice, a massive outlay on a new keeper is increasingly unlikely. Liverpool have been left in no doubt how much it would cost to secure Brazilian international Alisson, his Italian club suggesting only a world record fee would trigger negotiations. Klopp is not interested at values suggested to be as much as £70 million, especially as his instinct is to give Karius a prolonged chance to secure his position. My favourite ever Premier League player Liverpool’s previous interest in Alisson is further complicated because Mohamed Salah’s extraordinary exploits have prompted Roma – his former club - to bemoan his cut-price sale to last summer. Liverpool bought Salah for an initial £35 million, although that could rise based on several clauses. Roma’s Director of Football, Monchi, appears to have acknowledged he was out-negotiated when agreeing the sale last summer. The timing of the deal, completed last June, preceded Neymar’s move to PSG from Barcelona when the transfer market became hyper-inflated. “I think the price could’ve been better for Salah, but it did give us the possibility of making other moves,” said Monchi. Mohamed Salah is already looking like a bargain Credit: Getty images “When I arrived, the Liverpool offer for Salah was €32m plus €3m in bonuses. In today’s football, players go wherever they want to. “At the end of the day, we could reach €50m with bonuses, but at that moment we had to sell and that was an important option. The Neymar and Kylian Mbappé transfers changed the market, but at that moment it was necessary that we sell.” Stung by criticism of the Salah deal, Roma would be more steadfast in their bargaining should Liverpool target more of their players. If Karius replicates the encouraging form of recent weeks, Klopp is more likely to be searching for competition rather than a direct replacement for the rejuvenated keeper.

Liverpool could stick with Loris Karius instead of buying a £70m goalkeeper this summer

Jurgen Klopp is ready to abandon plans to pursue Roma goalkeeper Alisson as Loris Karius’ hopes of establishing himself as the long-term Liverpool number one have increased. Liverpool are likely to need another keeper at the end of the season as the recently demoted Simon Mignolet is sure to seek first team football elsewhere. But with Karius showing encouraging form since being confirmed as undisputed first choice, a massive outlay on a new keeper is increasingly unlikely. Liverpool have been left in no doubt how much it would cost to secure Brazilian international Alisson, his Italian club suggesting only a world record fee would trigger negotiations. Klopp is not interested at values suggested to be as much as £70 million, especially as his instinct is to give Karius a prolonged chance to secure his position. My favourite ever Premier League player Liverpool’s previous interest in Alisson is further complicated because Mohamed Salah’s extraordinary exploits have prompted Roma – his former club - to bemoan his cut-price sale to last summer. Liverpool bought Salah for an initial £35 million, although that could rise based on several clauses. Roma’s Director of Football, Monchi, appears to have acknowledged he was out-negotiated when agreeing the sale last summer. The timing of the deal, completed last June, preceded Neymar’s move to PSG from Barcelona when the transfer market became hyper-inflated. “I think the price could’ve been better for Salah, but it did give us the possibility of making other moves,” said Monchi. Mohamed Salah is already looking like a bargain Credit: Getty images “When I arrived, the Liverpool offer for Salah was €32m plus €3m in bonuses. In today’s football, players go wherever they want to. “At the end of the day, we could reach €50m with bonuses, but at that moment we had to sell and that was an important option. The Neymar and Kylian Mbappé transfers changed the market, but at that moment it was necessary that we sell.” Stung by criticism of the Salah deal, Roma would be more steadfast in their bargaining should Liverpool target more of their players. If Karius replicates the encouraging form of recent weeks, Klopp is more likely to be searching for competition rather than a direct replacement for the rejuvenated keeper.